The Alternate World of Nagato Yuki
by rick777
Summary: An alternate story to "The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi". In this story, Kyon isn't the only one who remembers his days with the SOS Brigade. Rated T for some adult situations. Yuki x Kyon.
1. Chapter 1

**The Alternate World of Nagato Yuki**

A Suzumiya Haruhi fan fiction by Rick.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Suzumiya Haruhi franchise or any of its characters. This work is purely fan made.

**Foreword.**

This story is an alternate version of "The Disappearance of Suzumiya Haruhi". It starts with Kyon meeting Nagato Yuki in the alternate world.

**Chapter 1.**

I skipped knocking on the door for the literature club room, and threw the door wide open.

"...!"

And then I saw. A petite figure sitting on a makeshift chair, with a book spread at a corner of the long table in front of her. It was Nagato Yuki, staring straight at me through her glasses, with her face written all over with surprise, her mouth popping open.

"You're here..."

I muttered a sigh of half resignation, half relief, and closed the door behind me. Nagato did not say anything as usual, but I couldn't loosen myself and rejoice. The Nagato I knew did not wear glasses, ever since the incident with Asakura. However, the Nagato here had the exact same glasses she had worn some time ago. I thought about it the second time, but Nagato just looked cooler without her glasses. That was my preference.

Moreover, that expression just didn't match. What was with her face, like a female Literature Club member caught off guard by a male student dashing in, someone she didn't recognize at all? What was with the surprise? Isn't it characteristic of Nagato to be furthest away from such emotions?

Wait a minute. This Nagato has long hair... and is wearing a ponytail!

Nagato's face was just as surprised as mine. Just what in the world is going on in here? Why is Nagato wearing a ponytail? Is she the same Nagato that I know? Will she be able to help me?

"Nagato..."

With the lesson from Asahina-san fresh in my mind, I managed to suppress my about-to-pounce upper body, and walked to the table.

"Yes?"

Nagato replied without moving an inch.

"Tell me. Do you know me?"

She tightened her lips, and pushed the bridge of her glasses. Then came a long period of silence.

I was thinking of giving up, and find myself a monastery to retreat from this world, when a reply came.

"I know you."

Nagato put her gaze somewhere around my chest. My hope welled. This Nagato might be the Nagato I knew. I know this is very improbable, but I just had to give it a try.

"In fact, I also know a little bit about you. Would you listen to me for a second?"

"..."

Looking at her ponytail and her face looking at me, I suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and it seemed like if all my hopes were slowly dissolving in the air, like a bottle of alcohol in a hot, dry weather. This is much more difficult than I had expected. And why, of all things... why a ponytail!?

I took a deep breath, and rested my hands on the table.

"Nagato... please forgive me if what I'm going to say is crazy... but I need to say it... I need to know. Maybe this is just a horrible nightmare for me... so please excuse me if I feel out of touch with reality. But I promise I won't harm you in any way. Please?"

Nagato looked at me. She looked as nervous as I did. She even swallowed. I sighed, and spoke.

"You are not human, but an organic android created by aliens. You had wielded impressive powers like magic several times, like the homerun-mode bat, and invasion to Cave Cricket Space..."

As soon as I started talking, a sense of regret gradually crept into me. Nagato was apparently making a strange face. Her eyes and mouth were open, and her gaze was wandering around my shoulders. The ambience around her read like she felt frightened to look straight at me.

"...That was you whom I knew all along. Was it correct?"

"I am sorry."

Nagato's reply made me doubt whether my ears were working properly. Why apologize? Why is Nagato saying this?

"I... know you are a student in Class 1-5. I see you from time to time. However, I know nothing except that. To me, this is the first time I've talked to you."

The final foundation turned into a house built on loose, weathered sand, collapsed and crumbled.

"...So you're not an alien? The name Suzumiya Haruhi does not ring a bell to you at all?"

The book that Nagato was holding fell to the floor. Nagato looked shocked. So, you do remember that name?

"Nagato, do you recall that name? Suzumiya Haruhi?"

Nagato began to shake her head. "No... it can't be true..."

"What, Nagato? What do you know?"

Nagato slowly knelt down, and picked up her book. She put the book on the table and sat down.

"This has to be a coincidence..." she said, staring at the wall in front of her, and still shaking her head in denial. "Just... a coincidence..."

"Nagato."

I paused for a second and swallowed. "What coincidence are you talking about?"

She looked at me. "I... know that name... from my dreams."

Nagato looked at the floor. As if she was planning to tell me something, but wasn't sure whether she wanted to or not.

"Please sit down" she asked. I followed, and she began to talk.

"I... in these nightmares... there was a time traveler... and an Esper... and I was an alien android like you just said..."

Nagato took off her glasses and stared at the floor.

"and Suzumiya Haruhi... had a power that could recreate or destroy the world... and... in my dreams, I had gone through many problems, like you said... and I had to stand hundreds of years repeating the same vacations... over and over..."

Nagato's voice was trembling. Her eyes looked glassy, as if she was about to cry. So this is you? The real Nagato? There was no other way. I remember those vacations too. And week of August that seemed to last for so long. A very strong Deja Vu feeling. It was Nagato who told us that there had been over 15,000 iterations of the same week. We had been trapped in a time loop.

"I remember the number... very well... Fifteen thousand... four hundred... and ninety eight times..."

She couldn't go on. She wiped her eyes with her fragile little hand and sobbed a little.

"One day," continued Nagato... "I was scared... that it would happen again... winter vacations... in an endless loop... I couldn't take it anymore. I stole Suzumiya Haruhi's powers, and changed the world. That was the last of my nightmares. The next thing I knew... was that I woke up in front of this school. Today, around 4 o' clock in the morning. I..."

Her voice calmed down, as if the worst part of the dream had been said.

"I normally don't sleep walk. But what was I doing today, in front of school?"

She looked at me with her eyes expressing an amazing amount of sadness. "Please tell me that was just a dream.... please tell me that I didn't reconstruct the world today... please tell me... that Suzumiya Haruhi never had that power... please..."

Her eyes began to fill up with tears.

"it was just a dream... right?"

I was frozen. I had never seen her so sad. I tried to speak but the words just couldn't come out. Especially when she spoke again and her voice felt all broken.

"... right?"

I looked down... and swallowed. Why is this so difficult?

"I'm... sorry. It..."

I clenched my fists. "It wasn't a dream, Nagato. Everything was real, and I want to go back to my world."

When I raised my sight from the table to Nagato, I realized that perhaps I shouldn't have said that.

Because she was crying again. She was now resting her arms and her head on the table, sobbing.

"N... Nagato... are you feeling alright?"

She looked at me like the face of a girl who had just been beaten by her father. With a trembling voice, she said: "Hug me... please..."

The 'please' was completely redundant. I jumped up from my seat, walked to her chair. She stood up and hugged me.

"It must be a dream... I don't want to go back... I don't want to!" she said, still crying. "I'm scared!!!"

She began to sob for a second time. "I'm scared..."

I petted her back. "Nagato... I'm... I'm sorry, it's just that... I was scared, too!"

A couple of tears left my eyes. But I hadn't cried as much as she did. We kept hugging each other for a while, when her arms dropped my back and hanged down from her shoulders.

"I want to go home", she said. "Will you... will you come with me?"

I couldn't refuse. How could I? Seeing her cry like that? And it's not like refusing to help her would accomplish anything. My God, Nagato... I had no idea you had to go through so much pain. Dammit, what kind of idiot am I!?

"Okay, I'll go home with you."

Nagato sniffed. "I'll be waiting here".

I quickly ran to my classroom and grabbed my schoolbag. Taniguchi was eating from his bento box on the classroom.

"Taniguchi... you were right. I think I got the flu. I'm going home to rest."

Taniguchi raised his hand. "Take care!"

I walked up the stairs to the literature club room, and opened the door. Nagato had packed her things and was ready to leave.

We left school, and Nagato kept hugging my arm. I still couldn't believe it. Was this the same Nagato that had saved my life numerous times? She looked so... weak... so... vulnerable... and I felt terribly guilty for wanting to go back. If what she said was true, this wasn't some imitation in an alternate world, but the real Nagato... only human. Seeing her like that, hugging my arm and reclining her head on my shoulder... resting... I wondered. Did you really suffer that much?

I'm sorry, Nagato... I... I had no idea.

Before I knew it, we were already at her apartment.

"We're here", she said, sighing.

"Nagato, are you feeling better?"

She turned around and looked at me.

"Yes... I feel better... thank you." And her face...

I would never forget that face - and I asked myself if I could really go back to a world where she didn't have that beautiful face.

Because... right now...

She was smiling.

(End of chapter 1)


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

"Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please."

I sat down and waited for Nagato to serve me some tea. I felt a bit of nostalgia for the day when she first invited me to her apartment and told me about her true identity. Would it be possible for me to go back? And if it was possible, did I really want to go back? From what she told me, she did NOT want to go back. But why would she tell me that she didn't want to, if it wasn't possible in the first place?

There had to be a way. There had to. And something kept bugging me. Why the heck was she wearing a ponytail? What did that mean?

Nagato served my tea before serving hers. She sat down.

"......"

I didn't know how to start. This was too sudden. And this wasn't the emotionless, ever-reliable Nagato that I always knew. Perhaps I should ask for an explanation.

"Um... Nagato..."

"......"

She didn't answer. She just kept looking down while I continued to ask her questions.

"Do you... do you really believe that everything was a dream?"

She opened her mouth, and then closed it. She began breathing heavily. "I..."

She paused again. And this time for a minute, before resuming her speech.

"I did know the dream had been real... I always knew, but I didn't want to accept it... I'm sorry."

"So... you remember everything? Do you know why I'm here?"

She swallowed, and nodded. "I'm sorry... I'm... sorry...."

An aura of melancholy and guilt was being irradiated from Nagato. I felt as if she had been turned into a rose frozen with liquid nitrogen. I didn't want her to shatter in pieces just by asking the wrong question.

"Nagato, don't be sorry... I understand. Haruhi has taken my toll, too. I understand."

"I... don't want to go back... but..."

She began breathing heavily again. She was shivering now. I needed to comfort her... somehow. But she didn't give me the chance.

"You need to know... from now, you have three days to go back to your world..."

"Three days? How? How can I go back?"

"Reunite the members of the brigade in the club room... an escape program will be activated."

Escape program?

"Then you'll travel back three years in time, to the 7th of July."

Tanabata, eh? I see.

"Yes. You should meet Asahina-san... the adult version. She will tell you what to do next."

Her tone of voice now sounded like the Nagato I always knew.

"I see... wait. Where are the members of the brigade? I know where I can find Asahina-san, but what about Haruhi and Koizumi?"

Nagato explained to me that they hadn't disappeared, but they were going to another high school, down the hill, and how their memories had been altered. But how would Haruhi recognize me? How would she go with me to North High, if she didn't even know who I was?

It was then that I remembered my trip to three years ago. All I would have to say is... "I'm John Smith".

"I will identify to her as John Smith, right?"  
"Right. But I need to tell you something about myself first."  
"What is it?"  
"There are three reasons why I don't want to go back. I won't force you to stay here... but I need to tell you."  
"I'm all ears, Nagato."

Nagato took a sip of the tea she had served herself. Her right hand was trembling.

"The first reason is... that I fear what Suzumiya Haruhi could do if her emotions get unstable again. You already know this."

Uh huh.

"The second reason... is that if we go back, it's very probable that I might be forced to leave this planet."  
"WHAT?" Things were bad enough as they were, but forced to leave? "Nagato, what do you mean?"

"What I did was a very serious offense. In this world, there is no Integrated Data Sentient Entity. To put it in simple words, I have killed them. If we go back, they will know what happened and I will most probably be punished with deletion."

Deletion? Do you mean...

"My organic interface will be deleted... just like Asakura Ryoko was deleted in front of you."

"NO! That's NOT acceptable!"

I banged on the table furiously while the tea cups trembled. "Nagato, I will not accept that. If we go back, I swear, I will protect you. I may not have any powers, but I know how to stir up Haruhi. All I have to do is tell her, 'I am John Smith', and if your boss tries to do anything funny, we will recreate another world where the Integrated Data Sentient Entity doesn't exist, but you do. How am I supposed to abandon you after all that you did for me and for everyone else? Eh? NO FUCKING WAY!"

"Oh, and now that I'm at it," I added, pointing at Nagato with my index finger. "Also tell this to your boss. Why did you have to conceal your emotions? Asakura-san was able to smile perfectly, and frown... and who had the bright idea to turn you into an emotionless robot just to make yourself interesting to Haruhi? You could just as well be able to smile or cry as long as Haruhi didn't find out. But no, they completely stripped all emotions from you. What are you, some remote controlled camera just to observe Haruhi? Observation target? OBSERVATION TARGET MY ASS!"

I banged on the table a second time, only to spill the tea that Nagato had prepared for me.

"Ah, fuck!"

I quickly stood aside from the table. Luckily, I was fast enough so my pants didn't get wet.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean..."

Nagato quickly stood up and grabbed a paper towel. I felt so useless.

"I'm sorry, Nagato, it wasn't my intention."

Nagato was cleaning the table, but she said no words. All I could do was observe how she cleaned it. Nagato stood up quickly to take the paper towel to the kitchen. "I'll help you", I said, standing up. I picked up the cup and plate and accompanied Nagato.

"Thank you..." she said, putting the dishes on the kitchen sink.

"No problem, it was my fault."

"No." she answered, turning around. "Thank you... for what you said."

Nagato, how could I abandon you?

Nagato gave me a big hug. "Thank you... thank you!"

"It will be fine, Nagato, it'll be fine", I said, caressing her back.

"Wait... there's a third reason. There's a third reason why I don't want to go back."  
"What's that third reason?"  
"Do you know Suzumiya Haruhi is falling in love with you?"  
"In love? With me?"  
"Yes... that's why she nearly recreated a world last May. She became jealous of Asahina-san."  
"I see... I kinda knew already."  
"We cannot allow that to happen again. I can't."  
"So, we just have to avoid her from getting jealous, right?"  
"But I can't."  
"There's no problem, Nagato, I just have to be careful about not getting close of Asahina-san."  
"No."

No?

"No, you're wrong. Asahina-san will have no problem staying away from you."

So, what's the problem then?

"Sooner or later, Suzumiya Haruhi will find out..."

She looked at my eyes.

"... that I love you."

I was petrified. Shocked. Amazed. Nagato, what did you just say?

"I said... I love you. I don't want to go back to a world... where I can't hug you..."

Nagato put her arms over my shoulder, and raised her ankles.

"...nor ..."

She closed her eyes, and kissed me.

I didn't know how to respond. After the kiss finished, I realized why Nagato was wearing a ponytail. So I would find her more attractive. And I have to accept that her plan was pretty successful.

"Nagato..."  
"Yes?"

Having Nagato look at me with those puppy eyes was an overwhelming experience. I couldn't resist the temptation to caress her cheek.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Nagato closed her eyes. "I wasn't allowed to. My mission was only to observe. I wasn't designed to have human emotions. But something went wrong that they didn't predict."

"What?"

"That I would acquire emotions on my own... and that they would become unstable.... and that I would fall in love with you. All the Integrated Data Sentient Entity saw was corrupted files. They had never understood the human concept of love. And neither had I... until today."

I turned around. Nagato, I was pretty impressed when I saw Asakura-san try to kill me. I was also impressed when I saw you grab that knife with your bare hands. I was also impressed when I met Asahina-san's older self. But what you said right now... you've surpassed all of my expectations.

I sighed. "I need to sit down."

I sat down in front of the table. And Nagato followed me, sitting next to me.

I looked at her. "When? How did it happen?"

Nagato answered, and her voice sounded calm once again. That calm voice reassured me. I felt more at home whenever I heard her speak peacefully and without worries.

"During the summer vacation... on every iteration of those two last weeks of August, where I told you about it... I saw you get angry. I saw you clench your fists... I saw you get mad at Suzumiya Haruhi for doing this. I saw you comfort me as much as you could. Every time you could, one way or the other, give me some support, or caress my shoulder, or give me words of comfort, or secretly curse her because of me. And every time, you would ask me for forgiveness, for not being able to break the time loop. Other times you even cried for me."

"And then..." Nagato sounded like she was becoming angry. "... _she_ would appear and take you away, and have fun... and keep you for herself, ignoring what I was going through... having fun all for herself... for more than four hundred years, I would live the same thing over and over... and OVER..."

My whole body shivered. I had never seen Nagato get angry like that. But then she calmed down. "But... knowing, that you would give me some comfort... made it tolerable. On every iteration, you would try to calm me down."

Nagato looked at me. "How could I not fall in love with you!? You're the only person that cared for me. Not Asahina-san, not Koizumi-kun... not even Kimidori-san, for whom I was just a colleague. And especially not Asakura-san. Only you cared for me. For those four hundred years... you were my only support."

Her voice turned sad as she frowned. "I can't afford to lose you... but... I can't force you to stay here forever... but... just... a little longer..."

That was the last thing she said before reclining her head on my shoulder and closing her eyes.

Poor Nagato. I never knew you had gone through so much. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot!!! How couldn't I realize this earlier?

As I was caressing Nagato's shoulder, I wondered if I really wanted to go back. I mean, I would lose all this fun... I would miss Asahina-san's tea... I would lose meeting with the adult Asahina-san... I would lose having fun trying to save the world from Haruhi's rage... I would lose seeing the girls dress up as bunnies and playing in concerts... but... isn't Nagato's safety and happiness worth it?

If there was only a way to keep both... yes, I miss Haruhi, and I miss the brigade! But... I can't let Nagato-san have to go through all of that. Sigh. If there was only a way...

My stomach growled. I didn't eat today's lunch. Oh, no, I didn't even bring today's lunch! I was going to purchase something! Wait, it's 3 o' clock already?

Nagato immediately stood up. "Do you want something to eat?"

Wow. Nagato had never invited me to eat. "Sure, what do you have?"  
"Um... instant ramen."  
"Wait."  
"What?"

"You said I have three days to go back, right?"  
"Right."  
"And it's too late to gather Koizumi and Haruhi, right?"  
"I guess."

"Nagato..."

She looked at me, waiting for what I had to say.

"Would you like to go out on a date?"

She didn't have to reply. Her smile had already given me the answer.

(End of chapter 2)


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Nagato looked at me, waiting for what I had to say.

"Would you like to go out on a date?"

Oh, what a beautiful smile. We decided to go to a cheap restaurant and eat some cheeseburgers.

It was a good idea for Nagato to bring her coat, because the chilling wind didn't stop blowing on our faces, and being almost winter, it was unlikely that the conditions would improve.

"Nagato, maybe it was a bad idea to go out... what do you think?"

Nagato was still covering her body from the wind, but she smiled while looking at me. The hair in her ponytail described beautiful waves, which I would have enjoyed it more had the wind been a bit warmer.

We entered the restaurant, shuddering, letting the electronic chime above the door announce our presence to the rest of the clients. When the door closed behind us, we the air inside began to warm up our skins. The restaurant was half empty, as not everyone wanted to go outside to eat. I don't blame them. Only Santa Claus would go out on a climate like this. I began to understand why he was so fat and used that huge red coat and that beard: To keep himself warm. Man, it was so obvious, why didn't I think about it! But then again, I remembered that he didn't exist anyway. Hey, Haruhi, thanks to you, I was this close to start believing in Santa.

We placed our order. Of course, I paid for it. What kind of date would it be if I didn't?

Nagato chose a table next to a window.

A nice waitress prepared the table for us, and soon, we had our meals ready. Hey, I think I've seen that waitress before... nevermind. Even if I knew her, she wouldn't help me out of this mess.

As Nagato and I were eating, I would look at her, wondering if she was really the same Nagato that I knew. This was just too sudden. I wake up in this strange world where my schoolmates are missing, the SOS brigade is missing, Haruhi is missing, and Nagato not only has a ponytail, she is able to show emotions, too!

I still had trouble comparing this smiling yet shy girl against the all-purpose cultural bodyguard that I always knew. She would look at me, too, and every now and then, our eyes would meet, and she would blush and smile.

I was feeling like a boat caught in a hurricane right in the middle of the Devil's Sea. Dude, where's my anchor? I need more proof, more proof that this Nagato is the real Nagato that I knew. But at the same time, I was afraid of hurting her emotions. I have to admit, I would feel more at home right now if suddenly Asakura Ryoko removed all windows from the restaurant and then tried to stab me with an army knife. Sigh.

I wish there was a way to definitely prove that this Nagato is the same Nagato that I knew. But, do I? She already told me how to go back. All the details of her dreams match. So why am I feeling so unsure that this Nagato is the same Nagato? Is it her hair? Is it her emotions? Is it that she says she's in love with me? And what if this was just a dream? Or what if my adventures with the SOS brigade were just a dream, like hers?

But if she's indeed the same... did I really want to go back? And what if this was just an illusion? I was desperately in need of some physical proof. If an UFO appeared I would suddenly feel more at home. Come on, where are the blue giants where I need them?

Maybe all I need is a night of rest to think things over.

I grabbed a french fry and slowly ate it, bit by bit, as I was considering things over. Let's assume that this is the real Nagato. Does that alter my decisions in any way? Surely it does! If she's not the real Nagato, I don't want to be here. I want the real Nagato. Period. But if she is... then I have two choices: To stay, or to go back.

If I stay, I win a beautiful girlfriend (and with ponytail! Extra credit for cuteness!), a world that has no danger of being destroyed. I won't have to worry about sealed realities, giant crickets, time loops... cats beginning to talk... hey, isn't this what I wanted from the beginning? A normal world?

I grabbed another french fry. If this world is so full of peace, why don't I feel at peace? I had to admit it. Even when I was annoyed, and when at some points I even feared for my life... it was an interesting life. Who wouldn't like to live in a world with Espers, aliens and time travelers? We had our adventures in that island, are planning a wonderful vacation... and I still haven't tasted Asahina-san's Christmas cooking.

I looked at the window and saw a girl from North High going back home. Her hair and her measures... hey, is that Asahina-san?

No, she isn't. Great, now I'm starting to have visions! Why do I feel like a part of me is missing? I heard the chime of the restaurant door. I immediately turned around, hoping for a second, that a noisy girl with a yellow ribbon appeared, selling some tickets for a school festival or something. But that was just a hopeless thought.

I don't believe this. I want to see Haruhi! As annoying as she was, I missed her. And not just Haruhi, but Koizumi and Asahina-san as well. Or maybe it is that I'm feeling... lonely?

Oh, crap, I already finished my french fries. I better go on with the hamburger.

I noticed that Nagato had finished her meal already. And she didn't feel comfortable.

"Nagato, are you ok?"  
"Yes, I'm ok, thank you."  
"I'll order some ice cream."  
"Okay."

I quickly ate what was left of my cheeseburger, and gave a sip to my soda. I couldn't find the waitress, but since this is a fast food restaurant, I can place my order directly. I ordered a pair of ice creams for Nagato and me.

"Thank you for your purchase."

I didn't like how Nagato looked. What should I do to make her happy? Maybe a little conversation should help.

"Nagato..."  
"Yes?"  
"Do you notice any difference between how the world feels right now, and how it felt before?"  
"Hmmmm....."

Staring at the soda, she kept saying "Hmmmm" once and again. It was fun looking at her make those funny faces. She looked at me and began to blush, noticing that I hadn't stopped staring at her. Or perhaps it's that I was smiling?

"Um, have I got something wrong on my face?"

"I'm sorry, Nagato... it's just that... you look beautiful."

The red in her cheeks increased by 50%.

"Uh... thank you..."

Who was this girl? I mean, it's Nagato, right? But at the same time, she's different. I began to wonder who I liked more: The Nagato that was in this world, or the quiet Nagato that was in the other world. Let's put the ponytail aside, that would be cheating. Hey... I already know this, but I'd feel better asking.

"Nagato, why do you have a ponytail?"  
Nagato turned her head. "I... you don't like it?" she asked, worried.  
"No, I do!"  
She smiled. "Thank you!"

Well, I guess that answers the question. Hey, that gives me an idea.

"Nagato, I'll be back in a second."  
"Okay."

I bought a copy of today's newspaper at the counter, and sat down.

"Nagato, mind reading an article please?"  
"Which one?"  
"Anyone you like."  
"Okay... should I read it aloud?"  
"Yes, please."

Nagato took a small breath and began to read.

"Prime Minister of Japan suggests to invest in the manga and anime market exportations.

Monday, December 18. In a press conference, the Prime Minister of Japan pointed out that due to poor marketing performance, the revenues of anime and manga merchandise reach only 10% of their potential. A survey of over 25,000 international subjects revealed that many people overseas would be willing to purchase anime merchandise if subtitles were available on the same dates as they were released in Japan - why do you have your eyes closed?"

"Please go on..." I answered, with my eyes still closed.

"Okay... the Prime minister added: Our country is missing a huge opportunity in worldwide merchandising. Videogames, original soundtracks, series character songs, all that is an unexploited mine. Merchandising delays and excessive prices are cutting our opportunities to reach the worldwide market."

I sighed very slowly, and opened my eyes. "Thank you so much, Nagato."

"For what?"  
"Please don't feel offended - it's not that I don't like how you are actually... but this world is still too strange for me. I needed some familiarity, and your voice has calmed me down like you can't imagine."

She stared at me for a couple of seconds.

"I... see... I'm sorry... I never wanted to make this so sudden for you... perhaps I should have kept my old hair style. Do you want me to cut it like it was?"

"No! It looks beautiful! I already told you, it's just that the change is too sudden. And to be honest... three days is too little."

Nagato nodded, looking down. "I understand. I'm sorry."

Just to make sure she doesn't get depressed again, I changed the subject.

"Anyway, how's the ice cream?"  
"Delicious, thank you."

Ah, she's smiling again. We finish eating our ice creams and left a tip for the waitress.

I took Nagato's hand and helped her stand up.

"Thank you".  
"You're welcome."  
"I love you", she said, before giving me a kiss and hugging me.

Her eyes... oh, these eyes were so different to the eyes of the Nagato that I knew. They looked so beautiful...

"I love you", she said again.

Should I answer with "I love you too"? As much as it hurts, I can't. I mean, it's not that I don't care for her, but... I'm not IN LOVE with her. I just wish she didn't have to suffer so much.

For a second time, she kissed me, and this time, the kiss lasted longer. Much longer. I could feel how her lips were caressing mine, moving slowly, brushing against mine, like if they were two lovers dancing together. Her hands caressed my back and they were pressing me against her. This kiss was passionate and loving that the same time. Perhaps Nagato was trying to enjoy me as much as she could to compensate all the time that she couldn't. It was perfectly logical. Hey! My body's acting on its own! Down boy, down!!

I had to stop the kiss.

"Ayway", I said, trying uselessly to hide my blush, "we should get going."  
"Okay", she said. I didn't know if she smiled because I was avoiding eye contact.

"Excuse me, sir", a voice interrupted us.

Eh?

"Are you finished eating?" asked the waitress.  
"Oh, yes! We're finished."

Hey... I recognize you now! You're the girl who claimed to be the girlfriend of the president of the Computer Research Society!

The waitress took off her apron and gave it to her boss. "I hope you don't mind if I finish my shift right now?", she asked him.  
"No problem, Kimidori-kun. You always work extra time. You deserve it."  
"Thank you."

Kimidori... Emiri. That was her name. Kimidori-san spoke to Nagato.

"Um, Nagato-san, may I speak with your boyfriend for a second?"

Boyfriend? No, wait! You got it wrong!

Nagato nodded, and the girl lead me to one of the tables. We sat down.

"Good afternoon. My name's Kimidori Emiri. I'm a friend of Nagato-san. And your name is... Kyon, right?"  
"Uh, yes, that's how my friends call me."  
"Oh - before anything, please don't tell anyone I was working here. It's forbidden for the members of the Student Council to work part-time."  
"Okay."

Kimidori-san took a deep breath. "I have a favor to ask... I'm a very close friend of Nagato-san, and recently she's been having these nightmares..."

I swallowed. What would she do if I told her that I believed the dreams were real?

"... and right now her emotions are very unstable."  
"Yes, I know" I answered, nodding.  
"Kyon-kun... please make her as happy as possible for the next few days. From outside she may look jolly and full of life, but she is so fragile inside..."  
"I know."  
"Kyon-kun... this may sound a bit extreme, but... would you please be her boyfriend? At least until she recovers?"

I looked back at Nagato's table. She was staring at us. Noticing my gaze,she quickly looked at the window.

"Alright. I'll be her boyfriend."  
"Um... there's something else..."  
"What?"  
"I'm sorry for asking you this, but this is very important for her. To be honest, I don't know if I'm the right person to judge her morals. But... if she asks you... would you agree to... sleep with her?"  
"WHAT!?"

Alright. This is going BEYOND weird. Just what else are you going to tell me? To get married and have a child with her?

"Please calm down", she whispered. "I know, it's something very difficult to ask... and I understand if you refuse... but please consider her feelings. Besides, she's not in her fertile period...."

My face went as red as a tomato. Don't say that!!!

"...so you have three days to make her happy."

Three days again. Three days, three days... I just want to go back, dammit... I sighed. I looked at Nagato again. Is this what you want? Do you feel so lonely? Of course you do. What a stupid question.

Nagato was staring at the window. Alone. Like she always has been in the brigade room. I felt so sorry for her. You're so right, Kimidori-san. In three days I'll be gone from here, and any chance for Nagato to be happy will just... vanish.

I shook my head. Why did things had to be so difficult? Just thinking that she'll go back to become the boring emotionless reading furniture for Haruhi... I don't want that to happen! I want her to be happy! I want to make her happy! But...

I still miss the brigade. This is not my world... I don't belong in here!

"Kyon-kun... don't pressure yourself too much, you'll tear your hair out."

I hadn't noticed, but I had begun to grab my hair. I sighed. I guess I already made my decision. I want to go back. I just wish... that she could be happier.

"You want her to be happy, right, Kyon-kun?"  
I nodded.

"I never knew she was so... delicate... I've been an idiot. If I just knew..."  
"She couldn't tell you. She just couldn't. And her dreams have made her suffer a lot."  
"Yes...."  
"Has she told you about them?"

I nodded.

"And... what do you think?"

I could not look at her straight while trying to answer. Please don't ask me that question.

"I... I don't know what to say..."

There. A safe and ambiguous answer.

"Do you believe that her dreams are real?"

This is getting annoying. Why does this girl keep putting salt on the wound?

"I..."  
"Please be honest. Do you believe they're real?"

STOP IT ALREADY!

"Yes! I believe they're real. I'm sorry. You must be thinking I'm crazy for believing that, but I do!"

Kimidori-san sighed. "I knew it... you want to go back to your world, right?"

I looked at her eyes. They were dead serious.

"How... how do you know about that? Has Nagato told you about her dreams?"

She began to smile. "Alright, we can put an end to this farce. You don't have to pretend in front of me anymore, Kyon-kun."

Kimidori-san had been drawing a symbol on a napkin. She stretched her hand to show me the symbol. I can't believe this, this is the logo of the SOS brigade!

She spoke one more time. "Perhaps you would feel more comfortable if I told you what I know. Like Nagato-san, I've had my share of vivid dreams. But we both know they weren't just dreams, right?"

She turned around the napkin and there was a name written on it.

The name was...

John Smith. I couldn't believe it! She knows about John Smith!

I stared at her, and slowly, I asked as seriously as I could:

"Who... are you?"

(End of chapter 3)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Kimidori-san turned around the napkin and there was a name written on it.

The name was...

John Smith. I couldn't believe it! She knows about John Smith!

I stared at her, and slowly, I asked as seriously as I could:

"Who... are you?"

Kimidori-san smiled briefly. Then she took a deep breath and continued her speech. "Kyon-kun, you didn't know this, but Nagato-san wasn't the only alien humanoid sent by the Integrated Data Sentient Entity to observe Suzumiya-san. Nagato-san was given two back ups: Asakura-san, and me. And, I have to confess that the cricket incident was staged by me. Nagato-san was feeling very bored and lonely, and we had to stabilize her emotions. That little adventure lifted her heart. I guess I should express my gratitude to you for helping her."

I began breathing heavily. Finally I had found a link between this world and my world. I was so happy I wanted to shout. 'I FOUND A LINK!!!! THANK YOU, GOD!!!' but I wasn't _that_ crazy. I just smiled as hard as I could.

"I see you're feeling much better now, right?"  
"YES! I FEEL MUCH, MUCH BETTER! THANK YOU!"  
"Well, I'm glad, Kyon-kun. I have something else to tell you and Nagato-san."

We stood up and sat down with Nagato. I sat in front of her, while Kimidori-san sat next to her. I was the first one to speak.

"We're back. Sorry for the delay."  
"No problem".

Nagato, who had taken off her winter coat, was looking down. For me, her anxiety was more than obvious. Her frowning eyebrows, her breathing with her mouth made it all clear (not to mention her legs that were moving like a hyperactive child's during a boring church service). Compared to her, the old Nagato would just move her eyebrows a bit and I would say "Ah, she's nervous". But the current Nagato was simply an amateur at hiding her feelings.

But this also threw me off balance. I could notice her emotions, but now I wasn't so sure about the magnitude of her nervousness. Just how much stress was she hiding or showing? I guess I need to calibrate my _nagatometer_ and preset it to "human".

"Nagato-san...", said Kimidori-san, "don't be afraid, everything's going to be alright."

When Nagato looked at Kimidori-san, she calmed down.

"Sorry."

Kimidori-san began to caress Nagato's left hand. Nagato sighed and her breathing went slower.

"Nagato-san", she said, "I'm not here to bring bad news... please calm down."  
"Sorry."  
"Actually, I'm here to bring you good news!"

Nagato turned her head towards Kimidori-san.

"You do?"

"Yes!" shouted Kimidori-san, giving a hug to Nagato. Apparently the hug was all that Nagato needed to feel better, because she changed her frown to a faint smile. She just looked beautiful. I began to wonder how Nagato's expressions would look in less stressful circumstances. Every time she smiled, I began to like her more and more.

"Actually", Kimidori-san continued, "this is one of the reasons why I came here to talk to you. Basically, what are your fears?"  
"My fears?"

The ponytailed girl looked at me briefly before staring once again at the table.

"Suzumiya Haruhi."  
"Good. Now answer me, Nagato-san. Why did you choose to recreate a world where Suzumiya-san didn't have any powers?"  
"I... got scared of her."  
"Alright. Now, why didn't you keep her powers to yourself?"  
"I couldn't... I had to give them to someone nearby or use them right away..."  
"And you couldn't give them to someone else because...?"  
"There was nobody nearby... I required physical contact. Plus, there wasn't a guarantee of the transfer being successful. A permanent transfer would have required the explicit approval of Suzumiya Haruhi. I had only one chance, so I used it."

Kimidori-san turned her head to look at me. "So now you have an understanding of what happened, Kyon-kun. This girl is the real Nagato Yuki that you knew. You must not doubt that. "

I couldn't deny it anymore. This girl, this shy girl that had cried in front of me, this girl that kissed me and said she loved me, was none other than Nagato Yuki, the alien humanoid. And she had shown me her pain. My God. My eyes got a bit wet, so I had to wipe them with my left hand's fingers. Dammit!

"Kimidori-san", I said, standing up. "Please exchange seats with me."

Without saying anything else, Kimidori-san stood up, smiling. I quickly sat down next to Nagato.

"Nagato..." I said, holding her hand.

"Yes?" Nagato stared at me. The phrase "help me" was written all over her face.

"I'm sorry."

Saying this, I hugged her as much as I could. "I'm sorry, Nagato, I didn't know. I'm sorry!"

I heard a whimper come from Nagato's mouth. "I was so scared!"  
"I know, Nagato, I know, but it's okay, now, it's okay."  
"Thank you."

Slowly, we stopped hugging (perhaps I should mention that hugging on one same side of a cheap restaurant table couldn't be described as 'comfortable'), and now Nagato was holding my hand while we sat correctly. Kimidori-san was now free to finish her explanation.

"So, in other words, there are two issues. One, you need a human vessel for Suzumiya-san's powers. And two, you'll need Suzumiya-san's permission to perform the transfer, right?"  
"Yes."  
"The first issue is solved. The vessel will be Kyon-kun. Does it matter if it's the Suzumiya-san that lives in this dimension who authorizes?"  
"Uh... I'm not sure."  
"What about this. The Suzumiya-san in this dimension, PLUS, the Suzumiya-san in our dimension? Would that suffice?"  
"But... how?"  
"The escape program will send Kyon-kun back to three years ago, right?"  
"Correct."  
"What happens if we also send a video to Suzumiya-san... a video from THIS dimension, explaining just one tiny bit of the situation to her... and where the one explaining will be Suzumiya-san herself?"

Kimidori-san, you have left me speechless. This is just brilliant! I couldn't believe it!

"Wait..." Nagato interrupted. "What will be the message? She must not know that I love Kyon, or she won't authorize the transaction. And I doubt she will be willing to give her powers to him..."  
"Oh, but it won't be Kyon-kun whom she gives her powers to."

"Wait wait wait wait wait" I said, raising my index finger. "Didn't you say that I was the vessel? So if she won't give her powers to me, then... how was that again?"

"It's pretty simple. So far, you have dealed with two identities. 'Kyon, the SOS brigade member' is an identity corresponding to the entity known as 'you'. This identity is considered by Suzumiya-san a useless fool who can't be trusted for important matters...."

HEY!!!

"But behind her back, you have been dealing with espers, time travelers, and aliens. This 'you' who has saved the world more than once, already has an identity known by Suzumiya-san. And this identity is none other than..."

Kimidori-san gave two taps to the napkin that she showed me a few minutes ago.

John Smith!!! Of course!!!

"So, all we need to do, is to explain everything to the Suzumiya-san in this world, and assist her in filming the video where she explains the Suzumiya-san in our world that she needs to give her powers to John Smith. What do you think, Kyon-kun?"  
"It's... amazing!"  
"Nagato-san?"

"I... don't know... but... do you think it will work?"

"Well", said Kimidori-san. "It won't work if we don't try. So, Kyon-kun, I believe you have memorized Suzumiya-san's cellphone, right?"  
"Yes."  
"Great! Can you call her and arrange a meeting for tomorrow after school?"  
"Yes."  
"Okay! Then you'll have all day to continue your date with Nagato-san. Well, I have to leave, I have some things to do. Good bye!"

With a beautiful smile, Kimidori-san stood up and left the restaurant. It's about time we did, too. But first, I had to call my mom and tell her I'd be studying with a friend. Whether we would do what Kimidori-san had suggested me or not... that was a decision I would take later. But I needed my time to make sure everything went according to plan.

"Hello... mom?"  
"Kyon! Why haven't you called? We were worried about you!"  
"I'm sorry! I had some very important things to do. Anyway, I'll be arriving late, I'm staying at a friends' house to study, among other things."  
"What friend? Is it Tamaguchi-san?"  
"No, mom, it's Taniguchi. Ta-ni-gu-chi."  
"Ah, I always forget that name."  
"Anyway, mom, it's not him. This friend is the leader of the Literature club."  
"Literature club? Ah, that's good. You need to cultivate yourself more. Is he around?"  
"Uh, it's a she. I'll let you talk to her."

I passed the phone to Nagato. I could only hear what she said.

"Hello? Uh, yes ma'am, my name is Nagato Yuki, and I'm the leader of the Literature Club... pleased to meet you. Yes... yes, we're going to study and discuss some matters related to the club. Yes... no! I won't. No, ma'am. No... yes. Do not worry. Yes, ma'am. Yes. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Good bye."

Nagato passed me the phone.

"Hello?"  
"Kyon, you're not going to sleep with her, are you?"  
"Mom!!!"  
"Alright. Anyway, I know you're a responsible person, and it seems Nagato-san is a very responsible student. Don't ruin it, okay?"  
"No, mom."  
"And just in case... I shouldn't be saying this, but... please use some 'protection'."  
"Mom!!!!!"  
"Just kidding!"

Yeah, right.

"Kyon, please take care. And stay away from people coughing, you don't want to get the flu."  
"No, mom."  
"Good bye. Love you."  
"Good bye, mom. I love you too."

Click.

Whew! Finally, I was finished.

"Let's go, Nagato, I will call Haruhi from your apartment."  
"Okay."

I helped her stand up. She kept holding my arm and smiling. Finally, after having realized that this was the real Nagato alright, I had to ask her the question.

"Nagato..."  
"Yes?"  
"Are you happy now?"

Her smile widened. "Yes. Very happy". After saying this, Nagato wasn't the only one who smiled.

A few minutes later...

We arrived to Nagato's apartment. Nagato told me to get in the guests' room so I could talk to Haruhi as much as I wanted. I hoped that Haruhi's cellphone hadn't changed in this world.

I took a deep breath... Okay... here goes nothing! I dialed Haruhi's number from memory.

One ring....

Nothing.

Two rings...

Nothing.

Three -

"Hello?"

It's her, alright!

"Uh, hello?" I answered.

"Who is this?"  
"Is this Suzumiya Haruhi?"  
"Yes, this is her. Who are you, and what do you want? How did you get my phone number?"

Okay, stay calm, Kyon...

"Perhaps you don't recognize me because it's been three years... but you need to believe me. I'm John Smith. I need your help."

Phew! I said it. The hardest part is done.

"......"

No answer.

"Hello? Haruhi? Hello?"  
"Hello?"  
"This is John Smith. I need your help!"  
"Where are you? Where can I contact you?"

Haruhi's voice sounded very disturbed, and that was good news.

"When do you leave school tomorrow?"  
"2 o' clock."  
"Alright. I'll meet you there."  
"Wait! Can't you talk a little longer?"  
"Well, I have a few minutes, but I'm using my cellphone. I don't have much credit."  
"I see. What's your number so I can call you back?"

I gave Haruhi my phone number.

"Okay, I'll call you back right now." The call was finished.

Come on... ring... ring....

Yes!! I immediately picked up.

"Hello?"  
"Is this John Smith?"  
"Yes. Haruhi?"  
"It's me. I'm calling from home."  
"Oh, okay."  
"First of all, how do I know it's the real you?"  
"Let me see. Three years ago, you were going to write a message for Hikoboshi and Orihime. The message said 'I am here'. Is that enough?"

A few seconds of silence passed.

"Hello, Haruhi?"  
"How did you know what the message said? I didn't tell that to anyone! Not even you!"  
"Um... an alien told me."  
"An alien!?!? Are you serious!?"  
"Well, at least you believe that I'm the John Smith you met, right?"  
"Yes! I do! Why didn't you contact me? I've been looking for you for three whole years!"  
"It's a long story... this is why I'm going to explain everything tomorrow. But seriously, I need your help."  
"Okay. What's the emergency?"  
"Well... do you still believe in aliens, time travelers and espers?"  
"Yes!"  
"So that was your introductory speech this year at school, 'I have no interested in ordinary human beings', right?"  
"How did you know? Ah, nevermind. You probably heard it from someone else. So, what do you need?"

I took a deep breath. Things were finally getting better.

"Well... this is hard to believe... but I got stuck in this dimension... more or less."  
"What do you mean more or less? I don't understand."  
"Well it's kinda complicated as it has to do with time travel. Let's just say that this world is not my home world. It was a few days ago, but not anymore. I know, it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me."  
"Well, I don't understand... but I believe you."

I sighed. "Whew... that's a great relief, Haruhi."  
"So, what do I need to do?"  
"Well... I need you to record a video."  
"A video? What for?"  
"Well, the video needs to show you and Koizumi, and other people whom you probably don't know yet."  
"How do you know about Koizumi-kun?"  
"I already know him. From my world, I mean."  
"I see... so, what will this video contain?"  
"We haven't decided yet, this is why we need to meet."  
"So you don't know what the video will have? What kind of plan is that?"  
"Well, I mean that I don't know the _exact_ contents, but the video will contain an SOS message."  
"An SOS message? For whom?"  
"For you. I mean, for the Haruhi that lives in _my_ world."

A couple of seconds of silence before Haruhi spoke again.

"You're right. I don't understand a thing. But I believe you. Tomorrow you better explain me everything!"  
"I will. So, will you be waiting at your school?"  
"Of course!!"  
"Thank you!"  
"You're welcome! And nice talking to you again."  
"Same here. Good night."  
"Good night!"

I hung up. Thank God! I'm finally free! I opened the door and looked for Nagato.

"Nagato?"

A voice shouted from the hall. "One moment, please!" She was in the bathroom.  
"Oh, okay, I'll wait!"

Ah, I feel so relieved! I talked to Haruhi, we're going to meet tomorrow, I can talk to Nagato so she can tell me more about herself... everything is going perfect!

The dining room door opened, and Nagato came in. Wait...

"Nagato, what did you do to your hair!?"  
"I cut it."  
"I know that! But why!?"  
"I'm sorry. I had to do it for the recording tomorrow. I don't want Suzumiya Haruhi to get jealous of me. If she sees me wearing a ponytail, the recording could have the opposite effect."  
"You're right. Anyway, you look better with short hair."  
"I do?"  
"Yes."  
"Thank you!" she shouted, hugging me. This merited a kiss. A long, warm, kiss.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"I love you."

Now I had to say it. Maybe it's not 100% accurate, but not saying it would be completely wrong.

"I love you too."

Nagato's eyes began getting wet, and she smiled. She kissed me again.

"Do you really love me?"  
"Yes! Well I mean, I'm not _in love_ with you... yet.... but I do love you."  
"Thank you! Thank you! I love you so much!"

This time Nagato hugged me instead of kissing me. And her hug was so warm and comforting. I had to correspond the hug. It was a long hug.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
"Um... this is embarrassing, but..."

Nagato didn't look at me in the eyes. She was blushing a lot.

"... I would like to..."

Her breathing became a bit heavier. "I would like to... uh... em..."

Her face became redder and redder. It looked like an overheated nuclear reactor just about to melt down. She kept trying to say what I feared she wanted to say.

"I would like you to... um... you know..."

I swallowed. I think I knew what she wanted to say, but I didn't want to admit it. I feigned ignorance.

"No, I don't know..."  
"I... I...."

The ambient was getting very tense. Please, Nagato, don't say that, I don't know what I might end up doing if you say that!

She stopped the hug, closed her eyes, and clenched her fists. "I want to... have sex with you!"

Nagato turned around. Obviously she was so embarrassed for saying it, that she didn't want to face me. And to be honest, I was very embarrassed, too!

Nagato continued speaking, not facing me directly.

"I'm... sorry... it's just that... it's very... difficult for me... to say it... but... I love you... and I want to do it while I'm here in this world... and while I can share my feelings with you... and... this might be our only chance... and... and... I... I..."

Poor Nagato. She put so much effort into saying that sentence... I could not resist hugging her from behind.

"I understand Nagato. I understand..."  
"I love you so much..."  
"Um... I know... just... let me think it for a few minutes, okay?"  
"Okay... can you... do the thinking in my... bedroom?"

I unbuttoned the top button of my shirt. Is it hot in here, or what?

"Okay, let's go to your bedroom... but... I don't guarantee anything... okay?"  
"Thank you."

We entered her bedroom and sat down on the bed. This was the first time that I entered Nagato's bedroom. I felt like a neophyte priest entering the _sanctum sanctorum_ of the national temple. This looked like an ordinary girl's bedroom. Well, it looked like my sister's bedroom, as that's the only reference I know (except than anime). It had a bed, a mirror for makeup... a desk... a closet... a cable TV set...

"Nagato, I didn't know your bedroom was so.... _normal_."  
"I'm no longer an alien... I need all of this."  
"I see... Nagato, and how was your bedroom before?"  
"More or less the same."  
"I see."

God, I wanted to know so much about this girl... what were her feelings (besides being in love with me)? What were her favorite foods? Her favorite color? Hey, and how would she pay her cable TV subscription? Well, all those things...

I stood up to look at her bedroom. I looked at the ceiling, I touched the closet door with my fingers... I wouldn't dare opening it, that would be sacrilege! I just wanted to know everything about Nagato. Everything.

I turned around, and Nagato was already inside the bed! Hey, that's cheating!!! And she was blushing, alright. I began to pull my shirt back and forth to fan my overheated body. I really didn't know if I should _do it_. I think this was the hardest decision in my entire life.

I looked at her...

She looked at me... smiling... blushing...

I had to hurry up in making the decision. I took into account all that Kimidori-san had told me. I had already decided to go back. Or maybe... if I waited and didn't go back after all.... NO! WHAT AM I SAYING!

I began to realize that this decision would affect not only this, but it would also have consequences on our return. But if everything goes alright, we won't have to fear Haruhi anymore.

"Nagato..."

The little head that peeked out of the bed answered. "Yes?"  
"Before we do this... I mean..." I can't believe it! It's really hot in here! Did someone turn the heater on?

I continued. "... _**if **_we do this... I want to ask you a question."  
"What?"  
"Um... first of all..." I remembered my mother's advise. Better safe than sorry!

"Is is true that you're not in your fertile period?"  
"Yes."  
"Are you sure?"  
"100%. I have a fertility detector in my drawer."

Whew. Hey, wait a minute! It's not like I have decided already!

"Okay, the other question. If we follow Kimidori-san's plan... would you have any problems with going back?"  
"No. I'm not afraid anymore".

I began to fan my face. The heat was unbearable. I better take off my sweater.

When I looked back at Nagato, I saw her clothes on the floor!!??

"HEY, WAIT A MINUTE! I HAVEN'T SAID YES YET!!"  
"Oh? Sorry..."

This was getting more difficult than I thought. I guess this is how "one thing leads to another". My thoughts were interrupted by Nagato.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"If we don't _do it_... at least... could we... cuddle? Like I am right now?"

Hey, that's cheating too! But how could I say no to that adorable face?

"So, it's sex or cuddling, right?"  
Nagato nodded. Her fingers stood out of the bedsheets like birds standing on a fence. She just looked so cute.

"So that means I must take off some of my clothes anyway, right?"

Nagato smiled, and blushed. "Sorry", she said, biting her lip. Her eyes were sparkling with both innocence and malice. Weird combination. I just hope that I'm able to resist the temptation... maybe I should get in with my pants on, if I just want to cuddle. It's just safer this way.

My heart was pounding with an incredible strength. I guess it was time to decide.

"Can I go to the bathroom first? I'll be right back."

After returning from the bathroom...

"Okay... I made my mind. I..."

* * *

An undetermined amount of minutes later...

We were cuddling under the bedsheets. We spent a few minutes talking, while I was caressing her hair.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
"There are many things I want to ask you... and there's so little time..."  
"What do you want to ask?"

Nagato turned to look at me.  
"What do you think of me?"  
"What do you mean what I think of you?"  
"I... it's embarrassing... I asked you to have sex with me... but, please don't think I did it out of lust! I just... with only three days, it was my only chance and..."  
"Nagato, don't tell me you're afraid I could think less of you! I understand."  
"You do?"  
"Yes! Plus, it's perfectly normal for a teenager to have... you know, sexual impulses... how could I despise you for being... human?"

Nagato smiled, and a tear came out from her eye. "That's... thank you."

"I love you so much..." she said, closing her eyes. "I don't want this to end..."  
"I know, Nagato, I know."  
"This is all new for me... I have to admit... I'm a bit scared..."  
"Scared? Of what?"  
"Humanity... I know what humans... are capable of doing... and... losing control of themselves... and I think that tonight I..."  
"Yes?"

Nagato turned around. "It's embarrassing... but I think... I don't even know if I should say it..."  
"Say what?"  
"Kyon, even before I changed the world... I've... been dreaming about you..."  
"Dreaming?"  
"Yes, and the dreams were... um..."

The cute teenager began to blush. "I know... it's normal... but... sometimes, even in the brigade room, ideas start appearing in my mind... and... no, it's too embarrassing... please forget I said it."

Wait a minute. You mean you've daydreamed about...

She looked at me, and then looked at the wall, still blushing. "Uh huh."

Poor girl, she couldn't hide her embarrassment.  
"Nagato, that's perfectly normal! At least, I think so..."

She turned again to look at me. "How do you deal with all these emotions?"  
"Eh... what do you mean?"  
Nagato sighed. "Lust... shame... fear... panic... anger... I don't know... I think I wasn't really prepared to become fully human... but... but I love you so much..."  
"I love you too, Nagato", I told her, while caressing her cheek.

The little girl closed her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder.  
"Thank you."

More time passed, and Nagato opened her eyes. She looked at the window shades.

"It's getting late... you should go home now."  
"You're right."

Nagato turned her head to look at me.

"Thank you..."  
"You're welcome."  
"It was beautiful."  
"Same here."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."

I got out of the bed and put on the clothes that I had taken off (which clothes, I'm NOT telling), and left the room so Nagato could get dressed (or put on her pajamas). After we were both dressed, I took my schoolbag and waited for Nagato so she could give me a goodbye kiss. As I had expected, she was wearing her pajamas.

"Well," I said, "I'm leaving now..."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."

Nagato closed her eyes, and gave me a soft kiss. She looked like an angel.

I got out of her apartment, and began to think that staying in this world maybe wasn't such a bad idea, after all. Perhaps when I saw Haruhi tomorrow I would be able to take a final decision. For now, we'll stick to the plan.

I had trouble sleeping that night. There were still too many things in my mind. Nagato, Haruhi... the video... Kimidori-san... ponytails... the soft skin of Nagato's back... Oh, what a day.

I wondered if I really wanted to go back. I would lose my friendship with Asahina-san and Koizumi, and Haruhi... but... I would win a beautiful girlfriend. But, at the same time... I would miss the vacations on the beach... Haruhi wouldn't be known anymore.

I began to like this world... but I also began to feel guilty about it. Maybe tomorrow when I see Haruhi, things will become clear.

(End of chapter 4)

**Author's Notes.**

Kyon's mother's comment regarding the flu, is, coincidentally, completely unrelated to the current flu epidemic around the world. It just happened that in the alternate world described in the 4th novel of Suzumiya Haruhi, there was a flu epidemic in Japan. There had to be some continuity.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

(NOTE: This chapter was last updated on May 24, 2009. Several parts were rewritten)

What a weird dream. I wonder if it was a wonder or a nightmare. On one hand, I had lost Haruhi and she wasn't at school. On the other hand, Nagato had emotions. And hey, she was wearing a ponytail! Definitely some joy for Doctor Freud. At least I feel better because this time it was Nagato and not Haruhi whom I kissed. I'm not really fond of Tsunderes.

But who cares? I'll just go to school, and see Haruhi sit behind me. Wait... it wasn't a dream.... ah, shit! Don't worry, Kyon, you'll see Haruhi today, and soon you'll return to your world.

Wait a second. If it wasn't a dream, does that mean that... Nagato... and I... on her bed... physical contact... skin... against skin... slowly... touching...

OH MY -

"Kyon-kun..."

I quickly sat up to hide my _hormonal happiness _from my sister who just had opened the door. The alarm clock began to ring, and I jumped out of the bed to turn it off.

"Good morning, sis!" I said, to justify my newfound energies. "It's a good day today, isn't it?"  
"Kyon-kun, you're acting weird..."

Now that I think of it, yes, why not? After all, I finally was able to know Nagato, body and soul... oh my gosh... she is so beautiful... ah, what a wonderful day... I took a shower... da dee dum... doo dee dum... oh great goddess... da dee dee da dee... dum dum dee rum dum...

Ah, what a refreshing hot shower... I wonder if my hair looks right... there.

While I was eating, my mother asked me a very strange question.

"Kyon. You put on too much lotion today."

Eh?

"And I never heard you sing on the shower before. Did something happen yesterday?"

ACK!

"Kyon-kun", asked my sister, "why are you blushing?"

"Uh... nothing, nothing!" I finished my breakfast quickly. "_Gochisou-sama."_

Quickly I brushed my teeth and got out to school. Oh, wait, my shirt is loose. There.

"Kyon!!" shouted my mother from the door. "Your schoolbag!"

Oh, crap! I forgot it! I ran back to the entrance. Just when I was about to receive it from my mom, she didn't let go.

"Kyon..." she asked seriously, resting her right fist on her waist. "Something _did _happen yesterday, am I right?" she asked, while she was tapping the floor with her left foot. Oh no, not the tapping on the floor, please...

"Uh mom... eh... uh... it's getting late... I mean, nothing!"  
"At least you used some _protection, _I hope!"  
"MOM!!!!!"

My mom released her grip and I grabbed my schoolbag.

"Look," I said, flapping my arms like an annoyed penguin. "She wasn't even in her fertile perio-"

Have you watched those contest TV shows where the contestant has to give the correct answer or else he falls on a pile of mud? Guess who gave the wrong answer right now... and my mother was staring at me with eyes that resembled a T-Rex who just returned to her nest and found that one of her eggs had been stolen.

...all arise. Let the jury note that these few seconds of silence were the worst seconds in my entire life. How does the defendant plead? The defendant pleads "idiot". Where's Phoenix Wright when you need him?

I quickly ran to my bike and proceeded to ride to the station. I couldn't even say "good bye" to my mom. I was too embarrassed. I'm such an idiot. I could have only said "Mom, nothing happened!", but no, I had to open my big mouth and ruin everything. At least Asahina-san knew how to withhold information .

Dammit. The Asahina-san in this world doesn't even know me. I need to go back. Sigh. As I kept pedaling, the environmental sounds (and Nagato's blushing smile in my mind) quickly erased the uncomfortable feeling of a few moments ago.

The image of Nagato smiling at me and saying "I love you" kept replaying in my mind like a looped video. How can I forget that smile? Those eyes? Argh! I want to go back but I want to stay, too! If only Nagato could travel back to my world in her current form... I wonder how she woke up. Is she happy? Sad? Does she miss me?

I arrived to my classroom. As the flu epidemic hadn't been extinguished yet, some of my classmates weren't still present. And Asakura Ryoko was sitting where Haruhi should be. Why did it have to be her, dammit? As I sat in front of her, a terrifying thought came to my mind.

Nagato had dreams about her past life. And so did Kimidori-san. What if...

What if Asakura _remembered_, too? A chill ran through every single one of my nerves. I began to feel like Damocles with that huge sword hanging above him all the time.

Suddenly, a cold, sharp, metallic object touched my back. That millisecond was processed by my mind like a slow motion movie, making me feel as one of the victims of _The Ring_, realizing the lethal truth just before watching Sadako Yamamura crawl out of the TV to take my soul.

Yes, my worst fear was materializing: I was being stabbed in the back by Asakura Ryoko. Dammit, this hurts!!!

"AAAAHH!"

I stood up and fell to the floor, making some of my schoolmates laugh at me.

"Kyon-kun, what's wrong? It's only my pen."

I touched my back. There was no blood... but, why did it hurt so much?

Asakura chuckled like a mischievous child. You did that on purpose, didn't you?

"DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT, YOU BITCH!!!"

Shit, what did I do? Did I just throw a book at Asakura's face? Everyone kept staring at me.  
"Kyon... you weren't feeling well yesterday, what's going on with you?"

"Kyon-kun... what did you... call me...?"

Asakura Ryoko is crying? Oh no, please... now she's playing the victim! Great, everybody hates me now.

Don't look at me like that! The terrified stares of all the students pierced my mind. DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!!!

I woke up in my bedroom, sweating. It was just a nightmare. Thank God, or gods, or whatever.

What time is it? I turned on the lamp by my bed, and checked my watch. It read "Dec 19. 3:23 AM".

I had to change my clothes, they're all drenched in sweat. Dammit... what a horrible nightmare.

As I washed my face, I began to ask myself: What world is this? What did I do yesterday? What were the brigade club activities? Am I really in a world recreated by Nagato using Haruhi's powers?

There was only one way to find out. Nagato, I'm sorry if I wake you up, but I need to know.

I picked up my cellphone and dialed Nagato's number. I didn't need to search for it in the cellphone, I had already memorized it. I clicked on the "call" button, and put the cellphone on my ear.

Come on... answer the phone... answer....

come on!!!

Forget it. She's probably sleeping anyway. But, if she's not sleeping... what if this is the real world and she's been kidnapped by an enemy? What world am I in? Should I call Koizumi? And what if...

"Hello."

Thank goodness. Buddha, Jesus, whatever God is out there... thank you! Thank you!

"HELLO!? NAGATO?"  
"Yes, this is her."  
"Thank God you answered!"

"Nagato? Are you still there?"  
"Affirmative."  
"Thank you, thank you! Sorry for waking you up this early... you know who I am, right?"  
"Kyon."  
"Yes. Nagato, what world is this?"  
"......"

Nagato's answering pattern confused me even more. She seemed like the old Nagato I had always known. I should be feeling comfortable with her answering like this, but why don't I feel like that?

I heard a yawn coming from the other side of the line.

"Nagato?"  
"Eh... Kyon!?!? What... what time is it?"  
"It's 3:30, sorry for waking you up."  
"Uh... sorry, I was half asleep... YAWN. What... happened?"  
"That's what I'd like to know. Nagato... you know me, right? You know the SOS brigade?"  
"Yes... Kyon. Yes, I know the SOS brigade."  
"Nagato, are you a human or an alien? What world is this?"  
"I... Sorry. I... I recreated the world yesterday... I think... wait a second...."

These were the 30 longest seconds in my entire life.

"Yes... I'm a human now. Why do you ask?"

Phew. Finally everything began to make sense. What happened yesterday, did happen. Today's experiences with mom at home and with Asakura at school, were just a dream. But...

"Nagato, why did you answer like your old self a few minutes ago?"  
"Sorry... I guess I got used to it... anyway, what happened?"

Ah, that explains it.

"I'm sorry, Nagato, I just had this horrible nightmare about Asakura, and I woke up all confused, not knowing what world I was in."  
"I'm sorry... it was my fault..."  
"No problem, Nagato. Wait a second. If you're human now... does that mean that yesterday afternoon, we... you and I..."

"Ah, nevermind..."

I was just about to hang up, when Nagato called me. "Wait", she said.  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
"Yesterday... I was afraid to ask you but... Kyon... please... be honest... um... do you think... do you think that I have a beautiful body?"  
"OF COURSE!"  
"Um... this may be sudden but... did you enjoy my... I mean... um... do you really have a problem if... uh... my... bust size isn't as big... as... "  
"Nagato, what are you saying? You're beautiful! Yesterday was the most beautiful experience in my life!"

By now, I had finished waking up. My brain was finally operating at 100%. Yes, that late afternoon inside Nagato's bed was real.

"Really?"  
"Well... to be honest, it was my first experience like that so I can't really compare... but it was beautiful."  
"Thank you! I love you!!!"  
"I love you too."  
"Well, see you tomorrow. I love you."  
"I love you too. Take care."

We hung up. Up to this day, I hadn't really appreciated the wonder of the human brain. Even after traveling between parallel worlds, I could still distinguish what was real and what was a dream. Yesterday I was indeed in a world created by Nagato, and yesterday we spent the afternoon together in her bed. But before that, we had discussed some things with Kimidori-san.

Wow... Kimidori-san was an alien like Nagato. That did surprise me. Well, no need to worry now. Tomorrow, I mean today, I'll go to school... REALLY be careful with Asakura... and meet with Haruhi.

As displeasing as this nightmare was, I began to thank for having dreamed it.

I realized that Asakura was now able to threaten me in two ways: First, physically, and second, psychologically. She was the most popular student in school. Friendly with everyone. If she did indeed remember her previous life as a humanoid interface, and, if for some unknown reason she wanted to ruin my plan of returning to my world, then I needed to be careful. VERY, VERY Careful.

But there's no use worrying about that right now. I'll just go to sleep... wait. Just in case, I'm jotting this down in a small piece of paper next to my bed.

"To John Smith: If you want to return, be careful with Asakura-san."

This way I'll wake up tomorrow and remember which world this is. If mom asks, I'll tell her it's an idea I got for a sci-fi book. After all, I'm joining the literature club, right? But now, it's time to sleep.

* * *

The next morning...

My sister had to wake me up, I hadn't slept very well. Stupid nightmare. But I was rested at least enough to be able to go to school today. I was careful this time not to allow my mother to get suspicious of me. I grabbed the piece of paper I had written and put it inside my drawer. I might need it tomorrow.

I arrived to class, and Asakura Ryoko sat behind me, as expected. Try to be non-conspicuous. Oops... I just remembered that yesterday I already made a fool of myself. Damn. Wait - this might be the chance I need to turn things to my favor. I might not be as smart as Yagami Light or 'L', but I hope I can make a good impression. Secret plan to conquer the world (actually to escape from it), here I come!

"Good morning, Kyon-kun! Are you feeling better today?"  
"Yes, thanks! I really don't know what happened to me yesterday. Probably I ate some poisoned food or something. How've you been?"  
"I'm fine, thanks", she answered with a smile typical of the most loved student in school.  
"I'm glad", I answered, stretching my hands. Sheesh. What a horrible nightmare...  
"What nightmare?"

While I was pedaling to the station I had started to think about this dialogue, so nothing can go wrong now.

"I dreamed I was being abducted by aliens, could you believe that?"  
"Oh?"  
"Yeah, and there was this girl called Haruhi that was their leader... brrr... I don't want to think about that again. Thank God that aliens don't exist in this world. Don't you think?"  
"That's right, Kyon-kun!" she said, smiling. "I'm glad you became your old-self again."  
"So am I, Asakura-san, so am I."

Yes! _Just as planned_! If I had a black notebook in my hands, I'm sure my eyes would start glowing red out of excitement. But I'll just try to hide my temporary happiness and study the class normally.

Finally, lunch time came. I grabbed my _bento_ box and proceeded to search for the only person that I felt comfortable around in this upside-down world. She would most probably be at the Literature club. I went upstairs, and there she was!

Just looking at her face made me remember yesterday afternoon. We both blushed.

"Uh... hi..." I said, hesitating. "Sorry for waking you up early today."  
"No problem", she answered, smiling.  
"I brought my lunch... if you don't mind..."

Nagato's smile broadened, and her mouth even showed a bit of white. She took out her lunch and we sat on the table.

_Itadakimasu._

You know, this was the first time that I ate my lunch with Nagato. It felt weird, but nice at the same time. Nagato stood up.

"Would you like some tea?"  
"Oh, right, I had forgotten."

This was the literature club room, but there were some remains from the SOS brigade. And the water heater for the tea was one of them. Too bad Asahina-san isn't here. Nagato, you're beautiful and you have a wonderful soft skin... last night... ahem - I mean, you're beautiful and everything, but I still miss Asahina-san. But don't worry, Kyon. Today we'll see Haruhi.

After Nagato finished serving the tea, she began to speak.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"Yesterday... I... um... I... nothing."

Was it just me, or she was blushing like yesterday? Still looking down, she spoke again.

"I love you."

I smiled. "I love you too."

Just as I finished saying that, someone knocked the door. Wondering who it was, I answered.

"Come in..."

The innocent green-haired girl appeared in front of us.

"Hello, Nagato-san. Hello, Kyon-kun."  
"Hello. Kimidori-san, how are you?"  
"I'm fine. How was your date yesterday?"

I was lucky I wasn't drinking the tea, because I would have spat it all out.

"Uh, eh... fine, thank you."  
"Mind if I eat my lunch with you?"  
"Oh, no problem!"  
"Thank you."

Kimidori-san sat down with us and began to eat. "Kyon-kun, I already gave Nagato-san the camera for the message. Remember to get out of school early so you can meet Suzumiya-san."  
"Oh, you're right! I better set the alarm on my watch."

I began to understand why Haruhi always kept dragging me around. I NEVER had planned anything in advance. What kind of hero am I, anyway? I began to realize, that if I didn't plan things in advance, unforeseen events could ruin everything. No wonder I've been acting like an idiot all the time! And why shouldn't I keep things planned? Especially when I only have three... no, two days to return home. This was serious stuff! What's wrong with me and my wishful thinking? Because of that, I've found myself get into very troublesome situations.

First, Asakura Ryoko's stealth knife attack.  
Then, the murder at the mystery mansion in that island.  
Then, the seemingly eternal August of which I had no idea in the first place.  
And what to say of yesterday? I could have talked more to Nagato, and perhaps she wouldn't have had this nervous crisis!

I had NOTHING prepared for emergencies like this! And there was always someone else moving the strings from behind the stage. Be it Kimidori-san (with both the plan to return me to the world, and with the giant cricket incident), Asakura-san, Asahina-san (the older one), Koizumi... and even Nagato. The last one to learn the truth is always me.

I realized a sad truth: I'm practically an innocent bystander who ends up being dragged into everything. If there's someone who doesn't have control of his own life, that's me. The voices of all the members of the SOS brigade kept resonating inside my head as if it was some kind of echo chamber.

"Kyon, you're an idiot." - Haruhi.  
"Classified information." - Asahina-san.  
"I'm afraid you don't understand the situation." - Koizumi.  
"Classified information!" - Asahina-san (big).  
"......" - Nagato.

Well, I've had it!! From now on, I need to start acting like a leader. And it starts NOW!

"Nagato, do you have some pen and paper?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"I need to jot down Kimidori-san's phone number."  
"Okay."

I passed the pen and paper to Kimidori-san. I copied her number to another piece of paper which I kept in my pocket. Then, I added the number to my cellphone. And now that I'm at it, I'll add Haruhi's phone number. Hey, why isn't Nagato's number in my cellphone? Oh, right, I hadn't added it in this world. I'll add it anyway.

"What are you doing, Kyon-kun?" asked Kimidori-san.  
"I'm taking my precautions. I only have one chance to return to my world, and I don't want anything unexpected to ruin it."

Now I proceeded to call Haruhi.

"Hello?"  
"It's John."  
"John? What happened!? An emergency!?"  
"Don't worry, everything's fine, but just in case... I need you to jot down this number."  
"Okay, give me a second... ready."

I dictated the number to her.

"Got it?"  
"Got it. Whose number is it?"  
"Kimidori Emiri. She belongs to the student council at North High, she also comes from my... world."  
"I see."  
"In case something goes wrong, call her. Wait, let me give you another number. This is from Nagato-Yuki. She's a very important person for all of us, and is very dependable. If everything fails, you can trust her to save the day. Well... at least in my world."  
"Okay. What's her number?"

I gave Nagato's number to Haruhi.

"Got it. Thanks."  
"You're welcome."

Haruhi hung up. Three seconds later, Kimidori-san's phone rang.

"Hello? ... Yes, this is Kimidori Emiri. Yes, he's here."

Kimidori-san passed me the phone.

"Hello?"  
"Okay, just checking. Thanks. Is Nagato-san with you?"  
"Yes."  
"Perfect!"

She hung up. Nagato's phone was the next one to ring.

"Hello? Yes, this is her. Yes, he's here."

Nagato gave me the cellphone.

"Hello?" I asked.  
"John, was that Nagato-san?"  
"Yes."  
"Okay."

She hung up again, and this time my own cellphone rang.

"Hello?"  
"John?"  
"What was all that?"  
"Well, I figured that if something goes wrong, at least I need to know who I'm talking to. Now, ask me a question. Is there someone in your school that you don't trust, or that can give you trouble?"

I just remembered yesterday's nightmare. Guess who am I thinking of?

"As a matter of fact, there is. Her name is Asakura Ryoko."  
"Okay, how does she look, and why don't you trust her?"  
"Okay, she has long dark blue hair, she's rather pretty, and she is very popular and friendly. One could say she is an angel. The reason why I don't trust her, is because in my world she tried to kill me with a knife, just to watch your reaction."  
"Hmmm... very interesting. How's her reputation?"  
"She's one of the most popular students in here, but don't let her appearance fool you. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing."  
"I see... please ask one of your friends to send me pictures of her. Oh, and of each one of you. Now that I think of it, has anyone of you got a phone with video camera?"

Wow. I really began to understand why Haruhi was the leader of the SOS brigade. She may not be a good planner, but she does take EVERYTHING into account.

"Kimidori-san", I asked, "Does your cellphone have video?"  
"Yes, do you want me to tape you?"  
"Yes, please."

Kimidori-san taped us, including herself, and briefly introduced us to Haruhi. I waved. Then Kimidori-san called Haruhi and sent her the video.

"Okay, got it. Anything else you might want to tell me?"  
"Well, I hope not, but if I get late for the meeting, I'll call you."  
"Alright. Anything else?"  
"Hmm... nope."  
"Perfect! Good bye! Oh, wait!"  
"What is it?"  
"What's your real name?"  
"Well, my real name is...." I told her my real name. "But everyone calls me 'Kyon'."  
"Kyon??? What a stupid nickname."  
"I agree."  
"Well, I guess that's everything for now. See you later."  
"See ya."

We continued eating our lunch, while I was thinking of more things that could go wrong. I was not sure why, but I had the weird sensation that _something_ would go wrong. An uncomfortable sensation like the one I had before Haruhi summoned me in her dark world of madness. Think Kyon... think. What could go wrong today and tomorrow?

This was a difficult question. The bell rang, so I decided that I would skip one class to keep discussing this matter with Nagato and Kimidori-san.

It was amazing. There was a whole brainstorming session of going on between us three. To my shame, Kimidori-san and Nagato were the most creative ones, and I only contributed with a minimum of ideas. But anyway, it felt good. I began to wonder if this is how we should study for our finals in case I decided to stay here. I felt very comfortable around these two. Anyway, I was no longer at the mercy of unforeseen events. I finally felt like I began to take control of my own life. And you know? Even if the plan to get Haruhi's powers fails, I finally feel like I'd be able to remain in control.

Before we knew it, my watch began to beep. It was time to see Haruhi.

"Okay, I'll take the camera. Kimidori-san, you know what to do."  
"As you wish, Commander Smith."

Heh. That was a good one. Hmm... John Smith. Brigade Commander. It doesn't sound bad. But we'll leave the fun for later. It was time to see Haruhi.

* * *

Nagato and I walked downstairs, careful not to be noticed by the people in the classrooms. Not that a teacher would reprimand us for not being at class - all I had to say is that Nagato's family had an emergency and that I was taking her home. As we passed my classroom, I felt the need to grab my schoolbag. But that was taken care of. Kimidori-san would pick it up for me.

We finally crossed the school gates. My excitement was growing with each step we took. Around 2 or 3 minutes, I felt Nagato's hand pulling me from behind. I slowed down, and turned around to check if she was alright. She stopped.

"Wait... I'm not... (pant) as fast... (pant) as I was..."  
"Oh, I'm sorry..."  
"There's time... (pant) we can walk..."  
"You're right."

After recovering our breath, we continued our journey to Kouyouen High School. It was just down the hill, in front of the station. As we approached, my heartbeat would increase, and I would also notice that Nagato's grasp of my hand became stronger. Was she as excited as I was?

No, something's wrong. Why would Nagato be excited to meet Haruhi? No way. If she's not excited then...

"Nagato... is something wrong?"  
"I... I'm a bit scared..."

Emergency stop... all engines halt! We're just about to hit an iceberg! I stopped completely and turned to Nagato, who spoke again.

"No... not scared... it's just... I don't want to see her... at least... for a while... sorry."

Again, I'm an idiot. One passionate night can't erase hundreds of years of being constantly annoyed! But... at the same time, it's impossible for a human being to live hundreds of years. If Nagato is truly a human now, there MUST be some way of curing her emotional pain, isn't it? The only thing that came to my mind was giving her a hug.

"I'm sorry...." I said. I'm so sorry, Nagato, I didn't know... dammit, I don't know what to say!

"Thank you."  
"Nagato, Haruhi can't hurt you anymore... she's not a monster, she's a human being right now..."  
"I know... it's just that..."

A long silence followed that. I noticed some tension in Nagato's face. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm sick tired of her. I wanted a vacation for myself... I want a peaceful life... but..." Nagato hugged me once more. "I want to be with you..."

I began to finally understand the situation. Just as Haruhi wanted to be special (or to meet someone special, whatever), Nagato wanted to be normal. This was the reason why Haruhi was put out of this school. If Nagato wanted to be around Haruhi, NOTHING would have changed! She would have just recreated the world without Haruhi having her powers. But Nagato put Haruhi somewhere AWAY from her.

I'm an idiot. How couldn't I see something so obvious? That's what Nagato wanted, to be away from Haruhi!

Dammit.

I began to feel like the main character in one of those love triangle stories. I wasn't simply a matter of choosing one girl over the other. It was about fulfilling one girl's desires versus another's. Haruhi wanted an exciting life with adventures, but Nagato wanted a simple quiet life with someone to love.

But what did _I_ want?

I just wanted to be friends with everyone. Occasionally go out with Haruhi and everyone for some adventure. I have to admit it, I was excited about going to another space to fight giant cave crickets, to travel in time with Asahina-san... to talk with the adult Asahina-san... yes, I hated my life before forming part of the brigade. Or at least, I began to hate how my life was before. I wanted something exciting. After all, who doesn't want to have fun with aliens, time travelers, and espers? I liked my new life! Well... except having to be with Haruhi bothering us all the time, but my life was exciting. I liked it. No. I loved it.

But Nagato's viewpoint was completely different. She had to keep Haruhi under constant surveillance. For her, the SOS brigade wasn't fun. It was a heavy obligation that she had to fulfill. She always had to be in the brigade room... waiting for Haruhi, observing every movement of hers... Nagato's life had been limited to the brigade. That was the whole reason for her to come down to Earth. She never had the opportunity of going out on a date... or just read some books without having Haruhi constantly shouting around and making Asahina-san cry with every wardrobe change...

Nagato just wanted a simple life. And I realized... that Nagato's idea of "fun" was completely different from mine.

Shit. How do I solve this.

"Nagato..."  
"Yes?" she asked, still hugging me, and with her face looking sideways, resting against my chest.  
"You wanted time for yourself, right?"  
"Yes... That's all I wanted! I want time for myself... with you... _without _Suzumiya Haruhi..."

Another sigh escaped my mouth. If only... if only the brigade activities weren't daily... wait a minute, that can be arranged, can't it?

"Nagato... how about this. What if, when we return, and I finally get Haruhi's powers... how about if we add some days of rest to the brigade activities?"

Nagato turned her head to look at me. I turned to look at her, and we accidentally kissed. Well, this was an opportunity that couldn't be missed, was it? We both closed our eyes and kissed briefly. Well, a bit longer than just briefly. Okay, okay, it was a very long kiss.

"So? What do you think, Nagato? Having one or two days of rest per week?"

Nagato began to smile. "I like the idea."

"So... I'm sorry for dragging you around."  
"It's okay."

God, how I love that smile.

"Feeling better now?"  
She nodded.

We were approaching Haruhi's school, and this time, Nagato wasn't as nervous as she was a few minutes ago. We continued walking.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"

Nagato rested her head on my shoulder for a bit. "I love you."  
"I love you too."

Okay... we're here. I looked at my watch, and we had only one minute left before classes finished.  
"Hey, Nagato, I guess Haruhi will pay for the meal this time, don't you think?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and reclined her head on my shoulder one more time. She smiled. You know, I'm beginning to like this. Call it what you like - hormones, mental illness, a short circuit in the brain, but I like how this feels. There was this... chemistry between us... even Asahina-san couldn't match it. It felt so nice having Nagato touch me... maybe... maybe I'm falling in love, too?

"Nagato..."  
"Yes?"  
"When we fix things and everything is over... would you like to be my girlfriend?"

When I looked at Nagato's smile... what could I say? I have no words to describe it. If you wanted to describe how beautiful her smile was, you should have asked a poet - because I'm not good at these things. Nagato and I hugged and kissed each other before the school bell interrupted us.

"Okay... we're here" I said, sighing. We sat on a bench a few meters away from the school gates.

As we waited, I noticed that some of my old schoolmates were going to this school. So that's where they were... after a couple of minutes, I noticed a hyperactive girl running out of the school. Like all the other girls, she was wearing a white shirt, a dark brown cardigan, and a huge beige ribbon-tie. This girl's hair was very long, with yellow ribbons on the sides. The ribbons were almost as long as her hair.

She was grabbing Koizumi by the hand. I wondered why she never grabbed me by the hand or arm. Why did it have to be the neck tie? Whatever. Haruhi ran past the school gates, even to the street. She was scanning the area.

"Hey, we're here!" I shouted, waving my arms.

When Haruhi saw us, she immediately pointed at us with her index finger. Hey, don't do that, we're not a road landmark! Haruhi turned to Koizumi and began to jump like a child who had just spotted Santa Claus. And she was still pointing at us. Koizumi smiled at her and said something to her, I suppose to try to calm her down. But she didn't listen, instead she grabbed his hand and sprinted towards us.

"I can't believe it!" she shouted. "Is it you? Is it really you?"

She was showing her million watt smile. Haruhi, I still can't believe I'm thinking this, but I've missed you.

(End of chapter 5)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

(Note: This chapter was last updated on May 28, 2009. Added more character development for Haruhi and a surprise at the middle of the chapter! Don't miss it!)

When Haruhi saw us, she immediately pointed at us with her index finger. Hey, don't do that, we're not a road landmark! Haruhi turned to Koizumi and began to jump like a child who had just spotted Santa Claus. And she was still pointing at us. Koizumi smiled at her and said something to her, I suppose to try to calm her down. But she didn't listen, instead she grabbed his hand and sprinted towards us.

"I can't believe it!" she shouted. "Is it you? Is it really you?"

She was showing her million watt smile. Haruhi, I still can't believe I'm thinking this, but I've missed you.

"John? John Smith?"  
"Yes!" I said. I almost shouted, because I was very happy to see her again.

Koizumi introduced himself with a smile. "I believe we haven't introduced ourselves properly. Even if what you claim is true, we should at least make a formal introduction. This is Suzumiya Haruhi and I'm Koizumi Itsuki."

He stretched his hand.

"John Smith", I said, handshaking. "And the beauty here is Nagato Yuki: Alien turned human, super hacker, my best friend, savior, and guardian of my sanity, to say the least."

Nagato began to blush when she heard me say all those compliments about her. She limited herself to a bow. "Nice to meet you."

"Okay, John," said Haruhi, calming herself down. "I don't want to make the mistake of my life. So you'll need to prove that you're who you claim to be."

Saying this, she crossed her arms, smiling, grinning at me. She looked like she already knew what I was going to say. She already believed that I was John Smith. I guess she just wants to confirm.

"Okay... here goes... it was Tanabata 3 years ago, around 9 o' clock at night , or was it 9:30? I don't remember. I spotted you breaking into East Junior High. I was carrying Asahina-san on my back, you'll meet her later, when I saw you. You were wearing jean shorts and an orange t-shirt with a panda on the left side. You were about this tall. You called me "pervert" and "kidnapper", so I answered by asking you what you were doing. "Tresspassing, of course! What else?" you answered. Then you blackmailed me, as you usually do to reach your goals..."

Koizumi couldn't help chuckling for a bit.  
"Shush! What are you laughing at?" asked Haruhi.  
"He does seem to know you very well, Suzumiya-san."  
"Shut up. John, please go on."

"Okay. After you blackmailed me, we entered school and you ordered me to draw your message for Hikoboshi and Orihime on the sports field. Oh - I was the one who asked if the message was for them. You asked 'How did you know?'."

As I was saying these things, Haruhi began to smile more and more. I think even her eyes began to sparkle due to the tears accumulating on them.

"It was Tanabata, of course, and I told you I knew someone who did those things in North High. Then you asked me if I thought espers, time travelers and aliens existed. Finally, when you had to go home, you didn't even thank me for my hard work."

I sighed. "And that's how you met me."

"So it is you... it IS you! Where had you been these three years? I've looked for you EVERYWHERE!"  
"Sorry", I said, massaging my back with my left palm, "but those three years I was still in middle school. See, when I met you I had traveled to the past from this year."

Haruhi was stunned. Her face looked as if she was a homeless bum who had just found out he had won the first prize of the National Lotto.

"Well," added Koizumi, smiling. "We better discuss this on a nearby restaurant, don't you think?"

We all agreed and began to walk to the restaurant across the street, while Haruhi didn't stop shooting questions at us faster than John Rambo would shoot bullets at his enemies. "Are there other time travelers? What about aliens? Hey, Yuki, can I call you that? Do you have a spaceship? Are there other alien races? What star do you come from? Can you travel faster than light? How? Did you understand my message?"

Boy, if you thought Haruhi was annoying without knowing espers, aliens and time travelers, you should see her when she knows about them. I was pretty sure that the sun would run out of hydrogen before Haruhi ran out of questions. She was so annoying that compared to her, a mosquito flying on your ear would sound as pleasant as one of Mozart's sonatas.

"John, what about Espers? Have you seen one bend a spoon? Have you tried Zener cards? Have you met any sliders yet? Wait, you are one, right? How did you get here? Why did you come to meet me three years ago? Do you know my future? How does the time machine work? Can I visit myself in the past?"

"Suzumiya-san, I think we should let John explain his problem to us before starting with the questions."

I should thank Koizumi for shutting her up. As usual, his reasoning always manages to keep Haruhi's inner avatars at bay. Not that she was very pleased with his request.

"But I have SO MUCH to ask!"

"And so little time!" I added. "If I don't go back to my world by tomorrow, I'll be stuck in here forever!"

Sigh. I miss my friends from the brigade. The REAL ones.

After hearing me sigh, Haruhi finally shut up. I guess a bit of guilt would be a perfect medicine for her. Well, at least we were progressing. We entered the restaurant and sat down. We were just about to place our orders when my cellphone rang. I looked at it and saw the number of Kimidori-san in the display.

I picked up the phone. "Hello?"  
"Hello, Kyon-kun. Where are you?"

The tone of her voice sounded like everything was going OK, so I didn't worry.  
"We're at the restaurant crossing the street from Haruhi's school, near the station. Why?"  
"We're going to meet you there."  
"We? Who we?"  
"Asahina-san and I."  
"Asahina-san!? But how could-"  
"Can you wait for us? We're almost there."  
"Okay..."  
"Thanks!"

She hung up.

"Who was it?" asked Haruhi.  
"Kimidori-san. She's coming with Asahina-san. Another brigade member."  
"Brigade? What brigade?"  
"Oh. That's one of the things you don't know about. In my world, you founded a school club called the 'SOS Brigade', dedicated to finding espers, aliens, time travellers and have fun with them. Asahina-san is one of the members."  
"Hmm... a brigade, huh? Tell me more!" she asked. "What activities did we do? Did we meet aliens? Did we look for mysteries? Have we found a ghost or spirit? Have we saved someone's life?" She was as curious as an 17th century alchemist would be if he found today's periodic table of elements.

"Suzumiya-san", added Koizumi. "While we wait for John's friends to arrive, why don't we wash our hands to make some time for them?"  
"Oh - you're right."

I went to the bathroom and washed my hands.

"So..." Koizumi spoke, washing his hands. "Basically, you're a time traveler or a slider?"  
"Well, I traveled in time only once. And I really don't know how I got here. I just know that when I woke up yesterday, the whole school had changed, and you and Haruhi had disappeared from school."  
"Oh? Hmm... interesting. But, if this is a parallel world, where's your other self?"  
"As I understand it, this is the same world that I lived in. But some things were changed. And I know who did it."  
"Who?"  
"Nagato-san."  
"Hmmm... can aliens do that?"  
"Well, not alone. She stole Haruhi's powers."  
Oh? So Suzumiya-san has powers... that's something I hadn't heard about."  
"I'll explain all the details in a moment."

We got out, and Kimidori-san was already sitting with Asahina-san. When Asahina-san looked at me, she frightened a bit.  
"Don't worry, Asahina-san. He's harmless."  
"Uh... okay... if you say so..."

We sat down, and from the girls' room came out Nagato-san, followed by Haruhi who seemed to be very disturbed. What did just happen between you two?

Haruhi ran towards me. She looked more than disturbed. She looked scared. "John!! Is it true!? Did I put you guys in a time loop for 500 years??"

I let out a slow sigh. So that's it. Nagato, you told her, didn't you? When I looked at Nagato, she was clenching her fists and frowning. "I'm sorry, I had to say it..."  
"It's okay, Nagato... it's okay. You needed to tell her."  
"So? Is it true???" shouted Haruhi. "But... how???"  
"It's a long story, Haruhi... but yes, it did happen."  
"I... I don't know what to say... I... I'm sorry, Yuki..."

"Excuse me..."

Nagato's voice sounded like she was about to cry. She turned around and walked back to the bathroom, speeding up with every step.  
"Yuki, wait!" shouted Haruhi, running after her. All of us were surprised. I was shocked. I wanted to go with Nagato... but she left for a reason. Her personality was of a very shy person. Maybe she didn't want us to see her cry.

"Time loop? 500 years? What... what's... going on?" Asahina-san looked confused as she would get after waking up in a different time plane.  
"Well... they may take a while to return", Koizumi said to me. "So, John, why don't you tell us about yourself, and how you got stuck in this world?"

I sighed. I wonder if Nagato would be alright. I felt so sorry for her. When I looked around, they were all waiting for my answer.

"Eh? Sorry?"  
"Don't worry, Kyon-kun", said Kimidori-san. "Take your time."

What was I going to say? Ah, yes! How I got in here.

"Sorry, I got distracted. Anyway. Asahina-san, first of all, I'm sorry for scaring you yesterday. I never wanted to scare you, I'm very sorry."  
"Um... it's okay... Kimidori-san explained to me..."

An interesting fact was that Asahina-san did not apologize for punching me. But that made me glad. I only wish the Asahina-san from my world would at least have some guts to say "no" to Haruhi. At least once. But right now I had to explain everything to them.

"So, I'm not sure if I should start explaining... I don't want Haruhi to miss the explanation."

Kimidori-san stood up. "I'll take a look."

She walked to the bathroom. A few seconds later, she got out and slowly walked to her seat.

"Yes, they'll take a while to get out. You can start, Kyon-kun."  
"Okay."

I took a deep breath, and began to explain a summarized version of the story of the SOS brigade. The anthropic principle, how Haruhi was some kind of God, a rift between time planes.... Nagato's origin... and how we had to put up with every whim of Haruhi's heart (to the point of cheating on a baseball game) to prevent her from destroying/recreating the world. I didn't have time to include the endless vacations or the murder mystery at the lone island, because Haruhi and Nagato came out of the restroom.

Haruhi was hugging Nagato, who sniffed and smiled.

Wow. Haruhi hugging Nagato? Nagato smiling at Haruhi? Just what happened in there? My wild imagination began to think that they got stuck in a time loop for at least a whole day so Nagato would get even at Haruhi or something. But at least it was good to see that their friendship was improving.

The girls sat down. I guess I'll never know what they told each other. The table was pretty crowded, so one of the waitresses offered us to sit at a bigger table. Nagato was sitting at my left, and Haruhi at my right. In front of me was Kimidori-san. At her left (my right) was Koizumi, and at her right (my left) was Asahina-san. The waitress took our order. When we finished ordering, Haruhi cleared her throat.

"Ahem - Ahem! Okay, John, I talked with Yuki, and I believe everything she said. Mind filling in the blanks, please?"  
"Nagato, what did you tell her?"  
"Basically, about her powers, about myself and the time loop, and a bit about the brigade."  
"Okay."

I finished telling Haruhi everything about the SOS brigade. The most surprised was Asahina-san.

"I... It's so hard to believe this... so you do come from a different world..."  
"Not exactly", answered Nagato.  
"Uh? What do you mean?"

Nagato took a sip from her soda. "This is our same world.", she said, looking down. "What happened is that I stole Suzumiya-san's powers to change the past and alter your memories. I'm sorry for doing this to you... but I couldn't stand her anymore. If I got trapped in another time loop... I would have gone crazy."

Nagato continued by telling us about her feelings and how Haruhi kept annoying her. At one point she shed a couple of tears. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be talking about myself."  
"No, no!" everyone said. We all began to give Nagato words of support and comfort.

"Yuki..." said Haruhi. "I promise I won't hurt you anymore. So, if you need anything from me, just say so, okay?"  
"Thanks", Nagato answered, smiling and wiping her tears. "Thank you all."

"Here are your meals", said the waitress, who began to serve us. To be honest, all the talking got me very hungry. I think the waitress didn't want to interrupt our emotional talk. Or perhaps she got curious at all the supernatural stuff? Anyway, Nagato had become the center of the show. I guess it was good for her. She needed a lot of attention and human warmth.

But one thing kept bugging me, tho. How did Asahina-san accept everything that Nagato said? Knowing her, and assuming that she was a normal student without any memories of our past... she seemed quite open-minded about it.

"Asahina-san, can I ask you a question?"  
"Yes?"  
"Do you really believe everything so far? I mean, aren't you at least a bit skeptical?"  
"Um... Kimidori-san showed me a video of my other self... I don't know how she got it... but it was recorded three years ago... the 8th of July..."  
"OH! EVIDENCE!" shouted Haruhi. "Can we see it?"

Kimidori san took a laptop from her schoolbag (she had brought it with her), and began playing the DVD.

Yes, that was Asahina-san wearing her North High Uniform alright. She was in an apartment that somehow reminded me of Nagato's.

"Um... is it recording now? Oh, okay! Um... This message is addressed to Asahina Mikuru of North High... um... maybe you won't believe me... but I'm... you. I mean, my name is Asahina Mikuru... and I'm a time traveler. I come from three years into the future... from... another dimension... I can't tell you the details, it's classified information... but you need to help John Smith! If you're watching this, it's because he's in serious trouble... um, I can prove that I'm a time traveler..."

The Asahina-san in the recording turned on a nearby TV and put the news channel, which, indeed, was transmitting the news three years ago. The TV was only using a rabbit-ears antenna, and there was no DVD recorded connected to it.

"Um... this is a digital watch... please check out the time... and this is another digital watch which I'll put on top of the TV..."

Asahina-san put one of the watches on the TV.

"Okay... the watch is on the TV... take a look at it... now I'll put the other watch in this jar... please take a look at it... eh? I need to seal it? Oh okay... I'll attach some tape to the jar... what? My signature too? Okay...."

"There. The jar is completely sealed... and now i'll travel 20 seconds into the future..."

She turned around, and disappeared on the spot. Twenty seconds later, she appeared again. She quickly turned around and showed us the digital watch, which had the same time since she disappeared.

"Uh... here's the watch, notice that the jar is still sealed... and that there's a difference of twenty seconds between them... I guess this will suffice, I traveled 20 seconds into the future... so, please, you need to trust John Smith... now, to prove that I'm you... you have a star-shaped mole in your left breast... eh? Do I have to? ... Uh, but it's so embarrassing... are you sure nobody else will see this? Um... okay... "

Wait a minute, she's taking off her shirt!?!?

Kimidori-san pressed fast forward to the part where Asahina-san was fully clothed again.

"So, please, you need to join the SOS brigade and follow Kimidori-san's instructions... please help John Smith and save the world! You must do it!"

The recorded Asahina-san looked at the left of the camera. "That's it? Phew... I'm so glad!"

The recording finished. Asahina-san looked very embarrassed, and Haruhi was amazed.

"Mikuru-chan! Come with me, now!!!"  
"Eh??? Where?"

Without answering, Haruhi ran towards the bathroom, grabbing Asahina-san as if trying to fly a kite. A few seconds later, they returned, and Asahina-san was blushing red hot.

"John!" shouted Haruhi. "You won't believe this! Her boobs are HUUUGE! Wanna touch?"

"NOOOoooo!!!!!" shouted Asahina-san, embarrassed and shaking her head. "Don't say that, please!!!"

"And yes!" Haruhi went on, "she has the star-shaped mole on her left breast! This is incredible!"

"Suzumiya-san," Koizumi told her, smiling, "I think we should save the rest of the talk for when we're finished eating. See, our meal is getting cold."  
"Oh, you're right!"

Finally, we were able to eat without interruptions. When we had finished, Kimidori-san told us we would need to do a recording inside Kimidori-san's house. Koizumi offered to pay the bill. As we were going outside the restaurant, the waitress asked me if we were doing a science fiction movie or something.

"Yes, that's it... it's a project for our high school. Just don't tell anyone, okay? It's top secret!"  
"Oh, okay! By the way, the girl with short hair... she's a great actress!"  
"Oh, I'll tell her."

If she only knew that Nagato wasn't acting. But that's classified information, I guess. Before getting out of the restaurant, I called home saying I'd get late again to do some brigade - I mean, literature club - activities. Koizumi suggested taking two cabs that would leave us in front of Nagato's apartment complex.

Before taking the cabs, Haruhi whispered something to Nagato. She nodded, as if answering a question. Then Haruhi said something to Koizumi before talking to me.

"John, I need to talk to you."  
"Uh, sure. What's going on?"  
"It's about Yuki."  
"Oh, okay."

Haruhi asked a couple of questions to Kimidori-san before taking me a few steps from everyone else. We sat down on a nearby bench. The group walked away while Koizumi called someone on the cellphone - maybe to cancel the cabs.

"John," Haruhi asked me, "how long do you know Yuki?"  
"Well... for at least eight months, just as all of you guys. But I've been with her more than anyone. Why do you ask?"  
"I still don't understand very well the time loop thing... and what kind of alien is she?"

I proceeded to explain Haruhi about Nagato's nature. Her being a data-based life form, and how Nagato was the only one who remembered being trapped in the time loop. For the rest of us, it was just a very strong deja vu feeling. But for her it was living the same experience over and over. I gave Haruhi more details about the cave cricket, the sealed spaces and how Nagato froze time so Asahina-san and I could return to our own time plane on July 7. Finally, I explained Haruhi how Nagato never had shown her emotions in our dimension.

"I see... I understand now."

"Haruhi, I had never seen Nagato smile at you before. No, I mean, I had never seen her smile before, but she had never been friendly at you. What happened exactly between you two?"

Haruhi sighed before taking a deep breath.

"Okay, it's like this. When we got in the bathroom, I began asking her questions, but she didn't answer. Not even one."

Typical.

"So then I asked her why was she so silent, and she told me to shut up. She shouted at me! She said 'Will you shut up!? I'm sick tired of you! '. Nobody had told me something like that... I asked her what she had against me, and that's when it all started."

"What started?"

Haruhi sighed again. "She told me about this power I had and how she was sent by the integrated... whatever to watch upon me. And then she stared at my eyes and told me: 'Please be honest. How would you feel if you had to live the most boring day of your life over and over for five hundred years straight... and being helpless to stop it?'"

After saying this, Haruhi looked down at the floor for a few seconds.

"So, Yuki explained me about the time loop. She was dead serious. I couldn't believe it... just because I didn't want those vacations to end she had to live the same thing over and over? I thought it was some kind of joke, but then her voice began to break, as if she was about to cry. She shouted: 'Do I look like I'm joking? Please leave me alone!' She turned around. That's when I ran back to you and asked you."

We both sighed at the same time. So that's what happened.

"Later", continued Haruhi, "when I ran to the bathroom, she locked herself in a toilet and began to cry. She told me how frustrated she was at not being able to complain to me while I had this power because she was afraid of me, and how she escaped by stealing my power and changing the world and our memories. That was the worst part."

"What do you mean the worst part?"  
"At first I thought that it was another 'me' in a parallel world who did this to her, but then it turned out that it was the me from this universe who did it. John, please tell me the truth. Was I really such a bitch?"

I looked at Haruhi, and she was looking at me with the guilt of a child who had accidentally killed his parents because he was playing with matches. I couldn't even stand it. I turned around. "Haruhi, don't make me answer that."  
"PLEASE! I need to know!"  
"Well, yes, you were a bitch! There were a lot of times when I just wished you didn't appear in the brigade room! Always dragging us around like if we were your slaves or something."

Looking at Haruhi's face, I had to soften the accusation.

"I'm... sorry, but we're just human."  
"No... it... it can't be true! How was I supposed to know? IT'S NOT FAIR!! Suddenly I'm the bad guy?"  
"Hey! I never said that! You're not evil! Just... terribly self-centered."

More self-centered that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, to be precise. But I didn't dare telling her that.

Haruhi sighed again. "You're right... John... I think I need to tell you this. It's something about my life."

I paid attention to what she had to say.

"When I was a kid, my dad took me to a baseball game..."

I couldn't help chuckling."

"John! What are you laughing at? This is serious!!!"  
"Oh, sorry... it's that you already told me that."  
"I did?"  
"A while after you met me. It was in May. You told me about how you thought your life was like a worm compared to the whole universe. You wanted to have an interesting life and how it was all boring and ordinary... and doing the math about the world population, and about someone in the world having to have an amazing life... and why it wasn't you."

Haruhi was completely stunned. "Yes... it was like that!"

Well, by now I think I know her enough so I can tell her what I couldn't in my world.

"Haruhi... you ARE special! You just never realized it! It's not about how many people live in this world, it's how you're special to your friends!"

I told Haruhi about how she dressed as a bunny and replaced the guitarist and vocalist from ENOZ for the school festival, and how she became the most popular girl in school, how the ENOZ girls thanked her. And how she wanted to find the murderer in the mystery mansion so bad that she went out in the middle of a typhoon.

"Haruhi, you may have the craziest mind in the world, but you're not evil. Just... dammit, Haruhi, why do you have to drag us just because you feel unimportant in this world?"

Then I had an epiphany. I felt like Buddha attaining Nirvana after years of meditation.

"Hey! Haruhi! I got it! I GOT IT!!!"  
"What?"  
"You chose ME!"  
Haruhi looked at me with a "WTF are you talking about" expression. "What?"  
"Haruhi... when you founded the SOS brigade... I was the first to join!"  
"And... what's that supposed to mean?"  
"CAN'T YOU SEE!? If you chose me, it wasn't because I was some kind of wizard or something! I was a 100% ordinary human being! I didn't become John Smith until later... but still you chose me."  
"So?"  
"Haruhi... if I'm special to you... I, which I have absolutely NO powers... then how can't you be special! Do you think your parents never loved you? Do you think we don't? You are special! You always were! You don't have to be unique to be special!"

"I'm... special for you?"  
"For everyone around you. That's what matters!"

I was pretty sure Haruhi got the point, because a few seconds later she began to shed tears like there was no tomorrow. She hugged me and began to complain about her loneliness and how empty she had felt inside... it was like five or ten minutes.

She wiped her face and sniffed. "John... thank you."  
"You're welcome."  
"Okay, let's take a cab. We already wasted too much time."  
"You're right."  
"Oh, John."  
"Yes?"  
"I may not remember this when you change the past, but..."

Haruhi turned around to face me, and before I knew it, she was already kissing me.

"Hey... what was that for?"  
"John... I think you deserve much more than a kiss for what you just told me. But... never mind. Let's go."

* * *

We arrived to Kimidori-san's appartment. Haruhi was the one who dialed (that's what she had asked before they left).

The group received us and Kimidori-san began to explain the plan to all of us. We would record a video for the Haruhi from my world. Tomorrow, we would meet at the literature club room, which would become the SOS brigade room. From there, Nagato and I would activate the escape program with the computer, and we would go back to Tanabata 3 years ago.

Kimidori-san gave Koizumi and Haruhi North High uniforms for them to get in our school without raising suspicions. After that, she spent a few minutes setting up the recording set.

The first to speak was none other than Haruhi.

"This is a message for Suzumiya Haruhi. Hello. I'm Suzumiya Haruhi from an alternate dimension, and I got a message from John Smith. Yes, the same John Smith that you met three years ago when you wrote the message for you know who. I can't give out the details in case this video gets to the wrong hands. So, here's the deal... there's good news, and bad news."

"The good news, is that you were given a great power. You're some kind of super-esper. The bad news, is that you don't have control of it as it becomes as unstable as your own emotions. And this power could save the world as well as destroy it. If you ever wondered why you were never contacted by aliens, time travelers, or espers, it's because they fear you. Yes, they fear your power. What I would do is to give this power to a person whom I completely trust. Eh? Yes, I'm coming to that, dammit! Let me finish!"

Haruhi took a deep breath.

"Okay, Haruhi, there's some more critical news. John Smith, YOUR John Smith, got stuck in this dimension, and he can't go back to your world. So you need to transfer your powers to him. And this is very important: The transfer needs to be complete, permanent, and irrevocable. Well, you can put one condition: If John Smith is an honest and well-intentioned person, then the transfer will take place. You need to give him permission to take your power, the night before December 18. He will use your power before the morning, but you can give him permission in advance. You don't need to contact him directly. Just wish for it to happen, and it will. Oh! I forgot. If you don't give him this power, you will sooner or later end up hurting the people you care for the most. Okay, now I'm done."

The next one to speak was Nagato.

"Hello. Suzumiya-san just said that you will sooner or later end up hurting the people you care for. But it already happened. The last two weeks of August you enjoyed so much your vacations that you wanted them to last forever. As a result..."

Nagato began clenching her fists.

"Everyone on the SOS brigade got stuck in a time loop that lasted several years. Normally this wouldn't have any side effect, but you hurt me... a lot. Because I still remember those vacations and I got sick tired of them. But... I shouldn't be talking about this... but you have to trust me. It's better for everyone if you give your powers to John Smith. Otherwise..."

Nagato began wiping her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I..."

She ran away from the stage.

Next was Koizumi.

"Hello, Suzumiya-san... I hope you haven't got scared of what Nagato-san just said. It wasn't your fault, you should have been informed that you could create time loops. So I guess it was everyone's fault. You should also take it easy. Learning that you have an awesome power could scare you a lot. Right now you may be thinking: "If I get unstable while wielding this power, something bad could happen", but that would scare you even more and it would become a vicious circle. Don't worry about that. All you need to do is to transfer your power to John Smith. In the name of the people of this alternate universe, I thank you in advance."

"Good night."

Next was Asahina-san.

"Um... hello... Suzumiya-san... um.... I don't know what to say, I just learned this today, and it was very sudden... oh yes! Today is December 19. By the time you see this, it will be just December 17. So I guess that this tape will have traveled back in time... I really don't know how this works... anyway... please give your powers to John Smith and save the world!"

Okay. My turn.

"Hello, Haruhi... I got a message from John Smith. He tells me that your message was received successfully by the recipients."

"But I need to tell you this. John Smith wasn't the only person stuck in this world. The other people trapped in this dimension were Nagato, Kimidori-san and me. I miss you, Haruhi. I miss your mystery searches, I miss Asahina-san's tea, I miss Koizumi's explanations... please! Give your power to John Smith! I WANT TO GO BACK!! When I get back I'll tell you everything."

And last, but not least, Kimidori-san.

"Hello, Suzumiya-san. I would have to thank you for rescuing my boyfriend this summer. Anyway, what the members of the SOS brigade have said is completely true. Nagato-san, Kyon-kun and I were trapped in this world. I guess that would make us sliders, right? But this is a very serious situation. When we go back.... or if.... we go back, we'll tell you everything.

But please, John Smith needs your power. Just in case you wonder, John Smith is a time cop. It's his job to preserve the natural order of things. The reason why he doesn't appear in his video is because you must not know his true identity before the natural order of things is restored. Otherwise, a time paradox would be created, and... really, I don't want to talk about the consequences. So please bear with this. He knows what he's doing. He knows what to do with your powers, he knows how to put them to good use and he knows how to keep them safe. If you don't help him... it might be the end of the world as we know it. Please, SOS brigade, save the world!"

Before Kimidori-san got out of stage, Haruhi came in.

"Hey! You! I'm afraid I won't be able to contact you. So I'm saying it now. You're a selfish bitch! You should start thinking about other people, okay? Look at poor Yuki, she was trapped in that time loop, and remembered EVERY SINGLE TIME! You should give her a vacation from the brigade, to say the least! And don't forget she was the one who gave you the brigade room! Also, please consider not exhausting the brigade members too much. Don't you think five times a week of brigade activities is just too much? Oh, and... Kyon... kyon, what a stupid nickname. Anyway, you have my permission to kick my ass when you get back. I deserve it."

"What? Oh, okay. Sorry for what I just said. Just save the world by giving your power to John Smith."

Then, Haruhi began to smile.

"And then you'll have LOTS OF FUN! You'll meet aliens, espers, time travelers, and there will be an awesome party... what? Hey, I was just getting to the fun part! Okay, one last thing! It's very important! Okay... Haruhi... this is one last message from John Smith. Probably he will tell you this personally, but I want to say it first. You ARE special. Don't think that because you're just one in six billion people in the world you're not special. It's not about how many people are in the world, but how many people consider you important to them. Whether you have powers or not, you ARE special! And the SOS brigade loves you, everyone loves you, John loves you, and I love you too!"

Haruhi got silent for a few seconds. "That's right..." she muttered. "Haruhi, stop hating yourself! Just because you thought you lived an ordinary life is no valid excuse for you to hate yourself and the world! You are special, okay? You don't have to be unique to be special! Oh, that last phrase, it was John who said it. Look, if you can't trust John, at least trust me, okay? Because I'm you! I know you better than anyone! Forget all about love being a mental illness! It's an excuse and you know it! Anyway, please give your powers to John. He deserves that and much more. Good bye."

That was the last thing that appeared in the recording.

In a few minutes, Kimidori-san burned several DVDs and copied the video to three memory sticks. One for me, one for Nagato, and one for herself.

"There can't be any mistakes. At least one copy should reach Suzumiya-san."

"Um..." said Asahina-san. "Will things be okay from now on?"  
"Yes, they will be", answered Nagato. "Right?" Nagato looked at me and held my hand.

"Yes, Nagato, everything will be alright."  
"Well," Koizumi said, "I should be calling for a cab to take us home."

After Asahina-san, Haruhi and Koizumi left the building, I escorted Nagato to her apartment. It was about 5:30.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
"Tomorrow we go back.... so we have only one day left."  
"Yes."  
"Can we... do it again?"  
"Uh... you mean..."

Nagato looked at the floor, smiling and blushing. "Yes."

I almost had forgotten about this. But, why not? Well, the sooner, the better.

"Okay." After I got in and closed the door, Nagato kissed me softly. Then she kissed me again, and again. We walked to her bedroom... and... that's how Nagato and I spent our last afternoon in this world. I won't give out any details, as this was a very private moment between Nagato and me.

I was about to get out of the bed, when Nagato spoke.

"Kyon, I'm scared..."  
I caressed her shoulder. "I know, Nagato, I know. But we must trust Kimidori-san's plan."  
"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"If I lose my ability to smile... will you still love me?"  
"Of course I will! I promise!"

I caressed her cheek with my index finger. "Don't worry, Nagato, things will be fine. We already prepared ourselves."

Nagato held my hand. We stared at each other's eyes for a couple of minutes. I never thought I could feel something like this. I would die a hundred times to let her keep that smile.

"Uh..."

I hesitated. I didn't want to leave. This is one of those times where you would want to let the moment last forever... but I've learned I shouldn't wish things like that. We must trust Kimidori-san. That's all we can do for now.

"I understand. I love you."  
"I love you too."

Definitely, I would need Haruhi's power to protect Nagato. I gave her a brief kiss and prepared to go back home.

After I got home, just before dinner, my cellphone rang. It was Nagato's number.

"Hello, Nagato?"  
"Hello."

Her voice sounded stressed.

"Nagato, is something wrong?"  
"I had an argument with Asakura-san. You were right... she remembers."

(End of chapter 6)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

After I got home, just before dinner, my cellphone rang. It was Nagato's number.

"Hello, Nagato?"  
"Hello."

Her voice sounded stressed.

"Nagato, is something wrong?"  
"I had an argument with Asakura-san. You were right... she remembers."

I KNEW IT! I knew that bitch would get in our way!

"Okay, Nagato, calm down. Please sit down and tell me what happened."  
"Okay..." she said behind the line. Her voice was trembling. "Just a minute after you left, someone knocked at my door. It was Asakura-san."  
"Uh huh..."  
"And she asked me to skip school tomorrow and enjoy some free time..."  
"Uh huh..."  
"And then she gave me some suggestions, like lighting fireworks..."  
"Yes?"  
"... and going to a bat practice..."  
"uh..."

I think I know where this is going. Nagato kept talking.

"And then she said it was sad there weren't o-bon festivals on winter..."

"I see", I said. Dammit. This was too cruel, why would she ever do that?

"Wait", said Nagato. "I'm not finished... She excused herself and left. Just like that. Two minutes later, she knocked again, and repeated the same words... I told her that she already had said all that, but she said it was the first time on the evening that she came down here. Then she excused herself, and left. Two minutes later, she knocked... again... and said the same things..."

By now, Nagato really sounded disturbed.

"I told her that it wasn't funny... she apologized, saying it was just a bad joke. Then she asked me for a suggestion for a lottery number to choose... and she said... and she said... 'How does the number 15,498 sound to you?'... and... and..."

Nagato stopped talking and began sobbing. I was stunned - I didn't know what to say. I could only wait until she finished crying. Dammit, 15,498. How could I forget that number? It was the number of iterations we were trapped in that endless summer before we finally got out.

"I'm sorry", she said, sniffing. "Anyway, I shut the door on her, telling her to leave me alone, and then I called you... I don't know what to do..."

I began to clench my fists. There was a storm of feelings brewing inside my head. Anger, frustration, fear... With that bad joke, Asakura managed to foil our plan on its weakest link: Nagato's newfound emotions.

"Nagato... listen to me. Talk to Kimidori-san. I'm sure she can tell you what to do."  
"Okay..."  
"But, listen, Nagato. You have all night to think about it. Tomorrow you can tell me if you really want to go back, or not."  
"Yes..."

This is bad. Really bad. Of course I wanted to go back! But... I also wanted Nagato to be happy. But dammit, if we stay, it'll be like letting that selfish bitch win! And I can't stand that! Well, Asakura, you've earned it. I've never punched a woman before, and you just beat Haruhi in getting me mad! If Nagato doesn't feel better tomorrow, I might stay with her... but you'll better not come school tomorrow, or else!

"Kyon..."  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
"Thank you. I love you."  
"I love you too."  
"I'll call Kimidori-san right now. Thank you."  
"You're welcome."

She hung up. Then I heard my mother's voice.  
"Kyon! Time for dinner!"

I walked to the dining room. "I'm sorry, mom, but I'm too busy right now. I won't eat dinner tonight."  
"Okay, but if you feel hungry, you know the food's in the fridge."  
"Thanks, mom."

I returned to my room and shut the door. Who can eat with this anger? I was completely furious at Asakura. But what should I do?

For what seemed to me like a long time, I walked in circles in my room, unable to think. Dammit! I don't know what to do!!

My cellphone rang again. This time, it was Kimidori-san's number.

"Hello?"  
"Kyon-kun?"  
"Yes, it's me."  
"I spoke with Nagato-san."  
"And?"  
"I simply told her the truth: We could choose to take no action after launching the escape program. We would simply go back to the future and leave things like they are right now. After all, when we go back to Tanabata, we will have all the time in the world to take a decision. That calmed her a lot."  
"Thank you, Kimidori-san. Thank you so much!"  
"You're welcome. Just in case, Nagato-san is going to sleep in my apartment for tonight. Don't worry, everything will be fine."  
"Thank you."  
"Good night!"  
"Good night."

Whew. What a relief. Definitely, I need to add Kimidori-san to my list of dependable helpers. I would call her "great goddess" too, but in my heart there's only one place for a great goddess. Oh, what a night. Well, tomorrow's the day. Finally I'll be able to see the Asahina-san I always knew, and meet with the always-known brigade helpers.

Five minutes later, I got another phone call from Kimidori-san's number.

"Hello?"  
"Hello."

It was Nagato, alright.

"Nagato, how are you feeling?"  
"Better, thank you."  
"Are you with Kimidori-san?"  
"Yes."  
"Will you be alright?"  
"Yes. I feel better now, thank you."  
"Thank God. See ya tomorrow."  
"See ya tomorrow. Kyon... thank you for everything."  
"You're welcome."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too."

After she hung up, I finally felt ready for bed. I was completely exhausted. Let's see what tomorrow brings us.

* * *

Morning.

Today's the day. This is the day that I return to my world, and hopefully - we manage to get hold of Haruhi's powers and save the world as we know it. A lot of thoughts invaded my mind. Did I really want to leave this world? A normal world?

I can't stop thanking God, or gods, or whatever being is out there for letting it be Nagato the first woman whom I intimately knew, and for seeing her blush... and overall... smile. I just wanted to see her smile.

I began to wonder if I was being selfish for wanting to take Nagato out of this haven she needed so much. Dammit, Nagato, why did it have to be only three days! But don't worry, I'll reclaim Haruhi's powers and everything will be fine. Everything will be fine.

With that thought, I arrived to school and got to the classroom. I didn't bother sitting down, waiting for Haruhi, as she wouldn't be there. Hell, I don't even want to see the girl who sits in there. I never thought I would say this - or did I say it already? There was finally a girl I came to hate much more than Haruhi. But I won't waste my mood with that... being... I need to see how Nagato's doing.

I arrived to her classroom, and she wasn't there. Of course not, you idiot. She's probably in the brigade room! I ran as fast as I could (If I keep running this often, I might become an athlete. But I wonder why my condition doesn't improve after months of running after Haruhi - never mind.

Before I knocked the Literature club room's door, a familiar voice called my name.

"Kyon-kun?"  
Kimidori-san!

"I'm sorry, Nagato-san didn't feel well today."  
"What? Is something wrong?"

Kimidori-san opened the door and we sat down as she explained to me what had happened.

"See... what Asakura-san did to her last night, had a terrible impact on her." Frowning, Kimidori-san continued her explanation. "She woke up several times with nightmares about the summer vacations. This is... this is the first time that I actually saw her cry so much."

Those words pierced my heart. I clenched my fist, only thinking about punching Asakura in retaliation.

"Nagato-san didn't want to come to school today. She needed some time for herself. At least until 2 o' clock."

Poor Nagato. If only she... we... had more time to make up our minds... I never wanted Nagato to go through all of this. Never. I actually began to wonder if it would be better to stay in here... but then, what will happen to Haruhi? And Asahina-san, and Koizumi?

"Kyon-kun, can I ask you a question?"  
"Yes?"  
"Do you REALLY want to go back to your world?"  
"Pardon?"  
"You heard me. What is what you really want?"

This question came when I least was prepared to answer.

"Well, I..."  
Kimidori-san looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"Of course I want to go back!" I shouted. "But... I don't want to see Nagato like this. Dammit, everything was going so well! Why did Asakura have to come and ruin everything! Why!?"

I rested my head on the table. "If it's not Haruhi... it's Asakura. She wasn't content with trying to kill me. You know, I would have accepted that, if there was no other choice, even to save the world. But hurting Nagato's feelings like that, this is TOO MUCH! "

"I see. So you want to go back, not because you really want to go, but because you hate Asakura-san, right?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Let's imagine that Asakura-san didn't exist, and that Nagato had those nightmares on her own. Considering this, what would you do?"

I swallowed. I really didn't know how to answer that. I guess, I was still as confused as the first day I arrived to this world.

If we stayed here... how would I feel? Most probably, I'd end up recriminating myself for not going back. Regretting everything, missing Haruhi, Asahina-san... and how would Nagato feel? What would she feel about MY feelings? This world was created by her. It was her wish. If I didn't like it... she would also feel bad about it. Neither of us would feel fine... unless... unless I really wanted to be here.

But right now... does that mean... that right now I do NOT want to be here? You're right, Kimidori-san. I don't want to be here. I want to go back. Unfortunately, this decision affects Nagato, too. But she gave me the choice. She... she wants me to choose! She already made it so I could choose! Despite everything, she still wants me to choose...

Or... she HAD wanted me to choose. The circumstances have changed. But, wait a minute. What about the plan? All that time, those explanations, the video recordings, don't they mean that things will go back to normal? Are you saying the plan will fail? No, it CAN'T FAIL! At least, we have to try. We can't give up when we've gone this far! And what if Nagato later regrets this? She will very probably feel guilty for me. I can imagine, all her life... thinking of "what if". What if we had been able to get Haruhi's powers? What if we could live a normal life, but with the people we knew, from our world? That "what if", could probably rot her heart from inside with guilt. I don't want her to feel like that, either!

If things don't work, we can just go back in time and tell our past ... present selves what went wrong. It's like there are thousands of possibilities to explore if things go even a little wrong. Because we'll have an esper and a time traveler on our side, right?

But if we don't go... there will be only one option: Regret. I don't want to regret. I'm tired of regrets. I'm tired of being swayed one way and the other, always complaining about my luck. I want to do something. We must try!

And I won't let a spoiled bitch ruin our fun because she wants to stay in this world... or for whatever reason she has. We must try. No "ifs". We must try.

I took a deep breath.

"I made up my mind, Kimidori-san."  
"Oh?"  
"We must try. We'll go back to the past and at least try to change things. If they don't work, fine, we won't interfere with Nagato and let the world be transformed by her to the state things are right now. But if we don't try... I think I'd regret it for my whole life. And I think Nagato will come to that conclusion, too."

Kimidori-san sighed. "I see."  
"Yes", I said, nodding. "But I will wait for Nagato. At least until today's classes finish. If she disagrees, we will discuss it and take a decision."

Our talk was interrupted by the door opening.

"I'm glad you finally made your choice, Kyon-kun."

It was Asakura. You bitch! Without thinking it, I clenched my fist again and was preparing to throw my blow at her, but Kimidori-san stopped me.

"Wait!"

I turned around. I was about to complain, but Kimidori-san spoke first.

"This is what she wants you to do! Don't let her interfere with our plan!"  
Dammit. She was right. Who knows what would happen if I punched her. I could get arrested, and we would lose the opportunity to go back. What was I thinking of?

Watching me calm down, Asakura got angry. She began to shout at Kimidori-san.

"You always have come and make things more difficult", Asakura complained.  
"It was just natural. Since we came into existence, we belonged to different factions. Why not let Nagato-san make her choice on her own?"  
"Because I love her! I know what's best for her!"

Love... her? I had to interrupt this.

"How can you say you love her? You tried to kill her that time!"

Asakura chuckled. "Aw, Kyon-kun. You're still so naive. You think I didn't know you would have survived, anyway? And how could I kill you, knowing that your future self was sleeping in stasis in Nagato-san's apartment? I'm not that stupid to destroy the universe with a major paradox."

Holy shit. You knew!?!?

"Tell me, Kyon-kun", said Asakura, closing the door behind her. "Have you heard the child's tale 'red demon, blue demon'?"  
"Yes, what does it have to do with this?"  
"Nagato had already fallen in love with you. But she needed a chance so you could know her better."  
"And?"  
"The fight was somewhat arranged, Kyon-kun", said Asakura, softly smiling at me. "I failed to kill you... on purpose."

W... what?!? That really threw me off guard. I... didn't know what to say. What happened? Who had made that decision? Was it Nagato, or was it Asakura who suggested it to her? Or perhaps Asakura didn't tell Nagato, and waited for her to stop her?

I began to imagine Nagato asking Asakura for help, but... something's wrong with that. If they had made an agreement, why did she say those things? It's not like Nagato wasn't lying, right? Wait, how could I know if she was lying? Wait a minute! Don't try to change the subject!

"Don't try to change the subject, Asakura. Whatever happened in the past, doesn't change the fact that you hurt Nagato's feelings! How can you say you love her, making her cry and having such horrible nightmares?"

"Me? It was your stupidity", she replied, pointing at me, "AND laziness that kept her trapped in that time loop for nearly six hundred years! You only had to do your homework, you lazy bum! And you kept neglecting it 15,498 times!"

Kimidori-san's voice interrupted our discussion.

"Stop it! Asakura-san, we're going to the past. Then Nagato-san will have all the time to think about it. And don't try to stop us!"  
Asakura smiled again.  
"Oh? And how do you plan to travel to the past, without the time machine?"

Asakura pointed to the desk, where Nagato's computer was supposed to be. I turned around, and...

"The computer! It's gone!"

**End of chapter 7.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Asakura pointed to the desk, where Nagato's computer was supposed to be. I turned around, and the computer - it was gone!

"You monster, what have you done with it?"

Asakura smiled. No, grinned. It was the typical grin of a TV villain. "If you love Nagato-san as much as you say, then prove it. Find the computer on your own, without worrying her even more. Because, after all, she's just a human being. Or am I wrong?"

I clenched my fists on frustration. Before I could say anything, Asakura turned around and finished her sentence.

"Oh, guess what. Classes are about to start. See ya!"

Damn you, Asakura! This was going from bad to worse. What should we do now?

"Calm down, Kyon-kun", added Kimidori-san. "She's right. There's nothing Nagato-san can do to help. We have to do this on our own. Look, if by 2 o' clock we haven't found it, I'll try to talk to her. Don't think we have used all our resources already."  
"You mean you got a plan B?"  
"You should know me by now, Kyon-kun. I don't like having any loose ends. You can go to your class, we'll think of something."

The school chime began to sound. It was time to go.

"Thank you, Kimidori-san. You know, you're a lifesaver."  
"Just relax. After all, we have until the evening to find the computer."  
I nodded, as we parted to our classrooms. Dammit. I have to think carefully. Now, where could she have put that computer?

The first thing that came to my mind was the Computer Research Society. Okay, that'll be my #1 choice.  
Then, probably her apartment. But how can we know if she took it there? It's a long trip, she would need a car or a bike to carry that heavy desktop computer to her apartment on her own. Hey, now that I recall, there's a nice manager whom Haruhi asked for info. I guess we can ask him if Asakura took the computer there.

Okay, that's two. Man, it's getting late for class! I better hurry... wait a minute. It's no use arriving early to class if this is my only chance of going back! I better call now.

I went to the men's room and dialed Nagato. Okay, let's not make her nervous...

"Hello?"  
"Hello, Nagato... how are you doing?"  
"I'm sorry, I need some time to think..."

Don't blow it, don't blow it...

"I understand. Just a question. Do you know what's the phone number for the manager?"  
"I think so, why do you need it?"  
"I uh... just wanted to check... something."  
"Okay... let me find it..."

After a few seconds of silence which seemed eternal for me, Nagato answered.

"Here it is. The number is..."  
"Wait, let me get some pen and paper. Okay... what's the number?"

Finally, she gave me the administrator's number.

"Got it. Thanks!"  
"You're welcome."

I hung up and proceeded to dial the manager's number. I wonder if I wasn't too rude with Nagato, but it's not time to worry about that right now. I dialed the manager's number...

"Hello? Is this the manager?"  
"Yes, who is it?" answered an elderly voice.  
"I'm a friend of Asakura Ryoko. I was wondering if she didn't bring home a computer with her."  
"Sorry?"

I just remembered that the man was partly deaf. I better speak loud and clear.  
"Asakura Ryoko. Did - she - come - home - with - a - com - pu - ter?"  
"Computer? Hmmm... no, not that I remember."  
"Thank you."

Dammit... it's not in her apartment. Which means... that the computer is still here, in the school! That makes things easier for me. But now, where can that computer be?

Anyway, I arrived to the classroom and was reprimanded by the teacher for arriving late. I apologized and said that I was in the bathroom.

When I sat down, I realized that Asakura wasn't in the classroom. Great, if this wasn't enough, now she was free to roam the school. Perhaps to make sure the computer was well-hidden. But that confirms my suspicions. And with me sitting near the window, I can make sure she's not carrying the computer...

Out the school gates! There she is, and she's carrying it with her! Wrapped in a bag, but you can't fool me!

I stood up. The teacher asked me where I was going.  
"I'm sorry, teacher, it's an emergency!"

Dammit, Asakura! Why do you keep giving me these problems! I ran downstairs as fast as I could. Fortunately for me, there weren't any teachers around to stop me. I kept running to the front gate to catch the attempted murderer now turned thief. Now where is she? She's running down the hill with the computer! Hey, don't run that fast you fool! Do you know what will happen if the computer falls and breaks!?

I had to run carefully or I'd trip down and lose her. I'm almost losing my breath! At least I'm glad that my exercise sessions with Haruhi had prepared me for this. I better not lose, or everything will be over.

The computer didn't seem to affect Asakura's running condition. Dammit, why is it that she's such a good athlete? I can barely keep up with her, and I'm not carrying anything! Who did she train with? Schwarzenegger?

She finally arrived down the hill. She carefully put the CPU on the floor, and took some breath. She looked at me, smiling. I ran towards her. Now you're not going away.

"Oh well, you got me, Kyon-kun", she said, sweating, but with a satisfied look on her face.  
"Give it back."  
"Okay, you win", she said, grunting as she picked up the computer. "I just wonder... how you're going... to explain this... to - Hey! Nagato-san!" she said, looking past me.

I turned around. Nagato??? Wait a minute, there's no one there - HEY!!! You cheater!!!

I was losing her again, she was now running to the street... a cab station? No, don't take that cab!!! Shit!!!

I tried to stop her, but I could only watch as she waved from inside the cab. I had no choice but to take a cab on my own.

"Follow that cab! Quick!"

I wonder how far she would go. Knowing that cabs in here are respectful of the traffic regulations, it'll be matter of time before she reaches a red light.

And when she did...

She got out of the cab!  
I opened the door, paying the driver a couple of bills. "Keep the change!"  
"Thank you, sir."

I got down, running towards the street to catch her. "Asakura!!! Thief!!! SOMEBODY STOP HER!!!"

And finally, FINALLY, luck was starting to get on my side. A police officer stood right in front of Asakura.

"Is there any problem?"  
"Yes! She stole my... the literature club's computer!"  
"No, officer", she said with an innocent face.  
"Then what are you carrying in there?"  
"Personal items of mine."

"Yeah, right", I replied. "Open that plastic bag and show them!"  
"As you wish, Kyon-kun."

She put the box on the floor, unwrapped the plastic bag, revealing a cardboard computer box, with brand and everything. AH HAH! Now we got you.

But then she opened the box, revealing... personal items of hers.

"No... this cannot be... where's the computer!"

Asakura smiled at me, with the phrase "I win" written all over her face.

"Where is it? Where's the computer?"  
"At school, of course!" replied Asakura. "Where else? Do you really think I'd be able to run so fast carrying an old computer with me? "

"So, I guess everything's fine?" asked the police officer.  
"I guess... sorry."

As I searched for a cab back to take me back school, Asakura spoke to me again.

"If we walk down the path, I might tell you where I hid it."  
"Forget it."  
"Aww... Kyon-kun, don't be so cruel!"  
"Just give me one reason why I should listen to you."  
"Alright."

She took out her cellphone, and proceeded to make a call.

"It's me... yes, he's here. Please, just let me punish him some more. Kimidori-san, you know how important this is for me!"

Kimidori-san? She's talking to her!?  
"You promised!!!" she shouted. "How can I let him get away with this without even letting him now that" -

Before she could finish her phrase, Kimidori-san shouted from the other side of the phone.  
"Don't you dare!"

Asakura gave me her cellphone and sat in a nearby bench.

"Hello?"  
"Kyon-kun?"  
"Yes, It's me. Kimidori-san, what's going on between you two?"  
"It's a secret... but it's Nagato-san who should tell you."  
"I see..."  
"Kyon-kun, for now we need to follow Asakura-san's instructions. Just... let her vent out her frustration."  
"Frustrated!? If she's frustrated, how does she think I am right now!?" I'm tired and sweating! Outdoors, on winter!  
"Just... trust me. We'll find the computer, it's a promise."  
"Are you sure about that?"  
"Yes. Don't worry."

I hung up and sighed. I walked to the bench and gave Asakura her cellphone.  
"Why are you doing this?" I asked.  
"Revenge. Why else?" she answered. And this time I managed to notice a tremendous amount of rage in her eyes.  
"Revenge!?!? Why?"  
"For the Endless Loop! Why do you think!?"

I was both confused and stunned. Suddenly I was the bad guy?

"It was all YOUR fault! Yours and nobody else's!"

"What?"

Asakura turned around, and spoke.

"Perhaps you haven't heard Nagato-san's side of the story, Kyon-kun. But I have. Every August 31st, Nagato-san would speak with me. Being a member of the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, she had no problems communicating with other members who did not possess a physical body. She would talk to me, and ask for instructions from above. They were always the same: Observe, and not interfere.

We had hoped that this might be the chance we had to witness -"

Asakura stopped suddenly, and then sighed, before going on with her testimony.

"... Suzumiya-san's data creation ability. We had hoped she would do it by the end of the endless loop. The first few times, we were excited, but with time we realized that it was a useless quest. I wanted Nagato-san to bring an end to it... but yet, she was too obedient with the high ranks - no matter how much pain it would bring for her.

And every 31st, just a few seconds before midnight, I witnessed Nagato-san's vital signs. The stress levels, the adrenaline accumulating in her brain, hoping for a miracle that would never arrive..."

Asakura turned around towards me, raising the volume of her voice.

"Have you seen it!? Have you seen how she screamed and cried every midnight second of August 17th!?"

"Every night... I managed to see Nagato-san get depressed like that... and every two weeks, every two weeks...I could feel her pain! And every time, I hated you more and more! And now I can't get even for her because the fool fell for you! How am I supposed to feel, eh? How am I supposed to feel!?"

Asakura's words made me feel incredibly sorry for Nagato. But still... something wasn't quite right. This... woman... had made Nagato cry by reminding her of the very thing she claimed to be protecting her of? I don't know how accurate Nagato must be in recreating this world, but I think she made a mistake when recreating Asakura's mind. Or perhaps it was defective in the first place? Besides... how was I supposed to know how to solve the endless loop? The only thing I managed to know was those deja vu's!

"15,498 times! Don't you think it's a little TOO MUCH?"  
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"

Before I knew it, I was knocked down by Asakura's fist. I fell to the floor, dizzy. I clenched my fist to answer her punch, but when I looked at her, she wasn't only angry. She had tears in her eyes. What the?

Okay. Somebody explain this to me because I don't understand a thing. Suddenly I'm responsible for the Endless August, and Asakura is actually crying for Nagato? Imagine being told that it was you and not Lee Harvey Oswald who was behind the J.F.K. assassination. How would you feel? Well, with Haruhi around, anything could be possible. But many things didn't fit, and I didn't feel coolheaded to make a thorough analysis of the situation. Really, this was a parallel universe where I did NOT feel comfortable at all.

Asakura spoke again.

"It seems that no matter how much I talk to her, not even with reminding her of the pains she had to go through, Nagato-san won't stay in this safe haven for much time. This was her only chance of living without having to become -"

She paused again. This was the second time. What was she going to say that she suddenly stopped? This upset me more than carrying that computer around. I felt terribly angry at her for hiding this from me. I felt left out, and yet, I wasn't even sure if my hunch was right.

"... the slave of Suzumiya-san, living in fear. And because of you, she's now giving up this chance! So, if I can't stop her... at least I could make you feel trapped, just like she was trapped for nearly 600 years. It was the least I could do for her... but I still can't tell you everything... because she made me promise. If you only knew..."

Ah hah! She IS hiding something from me! But what?

"Know what? WHAT!? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING!?"  
Asakura turned around and sighed. "I can't tell you... but when you know the truth, you'll understand. And then my revenge will be complete."

She wiped her tears. "Well, I guess this is all I can do for now. The computer's hidden in the locker in the literature club room."

No way! No f'ing way!! It was hidden there all the time!?

"See?", she answered, sniffing. "You're still an idiot. And you will always be one. You don't deserve Nagato-san. She's too much for you."

This last phrase of hers left me speechless. Wait a minute! Then... everything she said was true? And the fight with Nagato... did Asakura really lose on purpose!? And what was that secret that Nagato had to tell me? I don't understand!

Asakura called a cab that was passing by, and opened the door.  
She turned at me. "Well, what are you waiting for? Do you want to return to your world or not?"

I was feeling more and more confused. Why was she helping me?

I got in the cab while Asakura gave the instructions to the driver.

"To North High, top of the hill." Then, she looked at me. "Just so you know, I'm only doing this for Nagato-san. Not for you."

During that return trip, none of us said a word. I was still confused about all the things Asakura had told me, while the silence made her calm down. When we arrived to North High, her mask of innocence and virtue had been restored again. She was smiling as if nothing had happened.

"Asakura", I asked, as we were walking to the school. "I still don't understand. If everything you told me is true, why are you helping me?"  
"I told you, Kyon-kun. I'm only doing this to support Nagato-san with whatever the decision she makes. Because, you know? Just as she fell in love with you, I fell in love with her. With all my heart. So, Kyon-kun, please consider me your rival. After all, if Nagato-san really considered me dangerous, I wouldn't be here talking to you."

Well, I admit it, Nagato brought you here for a reason.

Asakura closed her eyes, and sighed. Frowning at me briefly, she added: "Some odd love triangle, don't you think?"

Maybe it was that I got accustomed to deciphering Nagato's emotions, but I felt pretty sure that Asakura was really being sincere at this point. Her eyes told me, and with 100% accuracy. She was both sad AND jealous.

"Okay, Kyon-kun. Let's make a deal. I won't interfere with you going back to your exciting, insane and dangerous world. But if you do come back to your world, and if you hurt Nagato-san again..."

Asakura began to smile as she continued her speech. "I swear to you... I'll come back to haunt you when you least expect it - and trap you in an enclosed space filled with instruments of torture that would make japanese horror stories look like a children's lullaby."

Her ability with talking about this subject while not showing the slightest remorse made me wonder if their boss chose Asakura to be a psychotic killer in the first place. What weird character did they think about when designing her personality? Norman Bates? Hannibal Lecter? Freddy Krueger? Jack Torrance?

Still smiling and holding her cardboard computer box, she added:

"Tell me, Kyon-kun, what's your greatest fear? Sharp objects? Spiders? Fire? Acid? Drowning? Being devoured alive by rabid dogs? Hmmm no, that won't do it. What about flesh-eating ants? Komodo dragons? Poisonous snakes? Ah, I know! What about South American parasite worms? Yes, those would fit you perfectly", she finished, smiling wide and closing her eyes as if she was suggesting some cake recipe.

"Oh - and just so that Suzumiya Haruhi wouldn't even notice, I would restore your health of course, we wouldn't want something drastic to happen to the universe because of a silly revenge. That would also help me torture you again another day, before healing you and wounding you again... and again... and again. See?"

I was wrong. Not even the worst Hollywood villain could match Asakura's evil. She deserved her own place above all. Looking at Asakura threaten me with such an innocent smile on her face made me reconsider whether going back to my world was really a good idea after all. Because, at least in this world, she didn't have evil superpowers.

"Kyon-kun, are you feeling alright? You face is all white! " she said, touching my forehead with her palm. "You better go to a doctor, perhaps you got the flu and you don't even know. Well, here's a kiss so you can feel better. And please remember our deal."

When she kissed me on the cheek, I finally understood. Asakura had been modeled after Don Vito Corleone. How do I know? Simple. I'd just been given the Kiss of Death. Mama mía!

She ran upstairs, still carrying her cardboard box, turning around and smiling at me. I don't know if it was her words, the chilling winter wind or all the exercise of chasing her, but I found myself shivering and drenched in cold sweat. I better go back, too.

The first class had just finished, so I was able to check that indeed, the computer had been hidden in the lonely locker in the literature club room. I felt it was better to just leave it there. Later I'd connect it. But now, it was time to return to classes.

Ignoring my classmates' questions about the secret business between Asakura and me, I kept wondering what she tried to tell me. What hidden secret did Nagato keep from me? And how could I be responsible for those countless repetitions of summer?

I didn't understand. But right now I just needed to cool down. At least I knew that Asakura wouldn't do anything more to interrupt our journey back to our world. Of course, I would have to notify Nagato about Asakura's threats. And now that I think of it, I wouldn't like to be in a universe with Asakura lurking around. At least, not without Nagato. Oh, great goddess Nagato, please save me from this lovesick demon called Asakura! Please save me!

At-choo!

Great. Just what I needed. All this cold and sweat will definitely get me sick. I guess I'll call Taniguchi and tell him that I'm getting the flu. Half the class is sick, anyway. Meanwhile I'll rest on the literature club room while waiting for Haruhi to arrive.

Finally, I thought, I could get out of this weird place. Haruhi, please hurry. I want to go back.

**End of chapter 8.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

It was pretty fortunate that I had bought the electric heater a few weeks ago. Otherwise, it might not end up appearing in this universe. I guess I can thank Nagato for this.

Just when I was thinking that, her smile appeared on my mind. For some reason, I ended up thinking: "What if we come back, and she can't smile again?" That thought made me shiver. I didn't want her to stop smiling. I suppose that her smile became as comforting as Asahina-san's. Please, Nagato, never forget to smile.

I locked the door and turned on the heater. After a few minutes, it was warm enough that I could take off my seat-drenched shirt and put it near the heater so it would dry out.

Taking a couple of napkins that were on top of the fridge, I dried off the sweat that resulted from the chase. My thoughts began to drift again. Was this universe really THAT evil? Was it really twisted? Did I really want to go back? Did Asakura really tell me the truth?

And somehow, Haruhi's million-watt smile appeared in my mind from nowhere. I remembered the times we all had fun together. We may have been on the edge of the world's destruction, but we had fun playing that baseball match. And the summer vacations, they may have been incredibly boring and exhausting, but if I had to choose between living that endless loop and not living it at all, I guess I would have lived it as it was - but what am I thinking? I can't stop considering Nagato's feelings!

Nagato...

Slowly, all my current memories and thoughts began to fade away as I fell asleep. And it wasn't a pleasant dream at all.

I was waking up from a dream. Everything was normal. The SOS brigade was having normal activities, and I had picked up a note from the adult Asahina-san to meet her at her old classroom after classes.

It was weird. Why would Asahina-san meet me outside the brigade room? Well, probably Haruhi would be there. I had entered the classroom, and nobody was there.

Suddenly, the door closed behind me, and the lights turned off. There were no windows, and I felt a presence to my left.

Asakura Ryoko. Wait a minute, didn't I go through this before?

"Hello, Kyon-kun. It's been a while..."

Before I knew it, I had been tied down to something like a surgery table, and Asakura was dressed like a nurse.

"What do you think, doctor?"  
"It's a really bad case of schizophrenia. We might need to do a lobotomy."  
"Oh, did you hear that, Kyon-kun? Your denial of the facts has become so strong that you've lost your mind!"

Get me out of here! Somebody, help! HELP!

But I couldn't speak. I had been completely paralized. "Doctor, where are you going to start the drilling?"

Drilling?

Hey, that's no surgical drill! It's an industrial drill!

"Through the eyes, of course!"

My eyes? I can't move! Get that thing away! HELP!!!"

I woke up sweating. But I was still in the classroom. Wait a minute, where am I?

"Did you like that dream, Kyon-kun?" asked Asakura. "Because there's a million more where that came from... if you had just stayed in that alternate universe Nagato-san offered you. Now, DIE!"

The floor opened before me, and I was falling down a chasm. As I was falling down, images about that endless summer appeared on the pit walls.

It's not fair, it wasn't my fault!

"Kyon-kun... phone..."

I picked the phone, and it was Nagato speaking.

"Help me!"

"No, Nagato!"

Haruhi was leaving the cafeteria, and the endless summer was about to be repeated again. But wait, if it repeats just one more time...

I looked at Nagato. Her smile was gone.

"Will you still love me if I lose the ability to smile?"

Nagato, no, please don't stop smiling! Nagato!!! Nagato!!!

Everything turned black. There were two images in front of me. One of them had Nagato smiling at me, blushing, and hugging me. The other had Haruhi, Asahina-san, Koizumi and Nagato enjoying the christmas party. But Nagato wasn't smiling.

Why can't be a third choice, dammit! Where's the third choice! I want the Nagato in THIS world enjoying the party in THAT world!

"Oh, yeah?" asked Asakura, pointing her knife at me. "And who do you think you are? Are you God? Are you Suzumiya-san? How do you plan to join those two choices? What can you do if you're a mere mortal, always obedient to the wishes of Haruhi-sama? Eh? Who do you think you are?"

Asakura tried to attack me again, but this time, I had enough of it. I grabbed her knife with my bare hands.

"But... how could you do it? Who are you??"

When she asked me that question, I knew everything I needed to know.

"I...

I am...

I AM JOHN SMITH!"

I woke up. What the hell was that? I don't know, but I finally realized what I needed to know. There's no need to take a choice over the other. If I'm John Smith, and if we listen to Kimidori-san's plan, nothing can fail. Nothing will fail. Nagato, I promise you, over my own life, that I'll do anything to go through this plan. After all, you're a member of the SOS brigade.

I slowly began to understand why I really wanted to go back. I missed the brigade. I began to consider the ludicrous idea that fate, or the universe, or whatever... didn't create the brigade for Haruhi. Maybe the brigade was created for me. Even if I wasn't the protagonist, I had the feeling that all the events that we lived turned around me, and that Haruhi was just an excuse. Maybe, it was I who needed Haruhi and the brigade to get out of my boredom.

Maybe I needed the frighten of watching those giant avatars destroying the buildings in sealed spaces to give some excitement to my life. Maybe it was me, and not Nagato, who needed the cave cricket adventure. And maybe... (I shuddered by just thinking about it) the endless loop we experienced in August happened just because I wanted to finish my... no, that's going too far.

Whatever the truth is, I missed the brigade. Not the newly-founded brigade in this world, but MY brigade. I'm sorry, Nagato... maybe it's just my selfish desires that want me to go back. But, now we can make a difference, right? After all, isn't claiming Haruhi's powers another exciting adventure in itself? Can't we all be happy? Can't we have some excitement in our lives without having to worry about the fate of the world? I'm sure there must be a way, right? Of course there is a way! And we're going to do it!

I put on my shirt, which was hanging near the heater. It was dry by now. After finishing dressing, I was ready to go. Now it was matter of waiting for Haruhi and the rest. Still, a shadow of fear was present: What if Nagato said "I don't want to go back"?

Let's hope she doesn't say that.

"Brrriiiiinggg..."

My cellphone started ringing.  
"Hello?"  
"It's me."  
"Nagato?"  
"Kyon... I made up my mind."  
"What do you mean?"

Nagato's words froze me in an instant.

"I... don't want to go back..."

I was left speechless. I didn't know what to say. Of all the obstacles we had gone through, and now she was going to give up? My mind began to fight against itself, wondering if I would really go back and betray Nagato's feelings, when...

"... but I'll go. Because I trust you."

Phew. Nagato, don't scare me like that!

"I...sorry if I scared you, but I needed to say it. Also, there's something else you should know..."  
"Yes?"  
"......"

Nagato made a pause. It didn't feel like the normal pause she would make whenever we "talked". This time, she was thinking of what to say.

"I can't tell you over the phone...."

Her voice was trembling. This secret confession made me more anxious every second.

"I'll be right there. Are you in the club room?"  
"Yes, I'm here."  
"Okay. I'll meet you there. Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"I love you. I really do... and it was my choice."  
"I... love you too..."

The conversation ended as Nagato hung up the phone. I was kind of confused by her last sentence. "It was my choice." What the heck did she try to say?

I began to get as anxious as a caged lion. I just wanted to leave this place. I looked at my watch. 1:20. Come on, there's still 40 minutes left?

Why am I so nervous? Ah, well, better plug in the computer and set everything. Just to be cautious, I turned it on, revealing an old edition of the operating system. Well, to relax myself I guess I'll play a little solitaire. I have to admit that this is a poor substitute for playing with Koizumi, but at least I'm glad that this won't last long.

Someone knocked the door.

"Yes, come in."

The door was opened, and behind it, there was Nagato, and behind her, there were Asakura and Kimidori-san. Wait a minute, what's this about?

Nagato slowly stepped in, and just stayed there... not saying a word. Looking at the floor, she seemed like she wanted to say something very important. Her silence was interrupted by Asakura, who was about to close the door from behind.

"Take your time, Nagato-san", she said, smiling. After the door was closed, Nagato turned around. She swallowed, and took a very deep breath.

"Uh..."

She turned around again, opened the door, and closed from behind.

"I'm sorry... I can't!" she told her companions. "I just can't..."

Asakura replied. "Well, Nagato-san. Do you want me to tell him for you?"  
"No!!! I... can't we just stay like that? Does he really have to find out?"  
"Nagato-san", said Asakura's voice. "This is your last chance. If you don't do it now that you're safe, how will you tell him when you go back? You won't, will you?"  
"But..."

Suddenly I felt as if I was some kind of stranger. I don't know why, but this made me feel really upset. It was bad enough being left out by Haruhi's decisions, but being left out by Nagato made me feel horrible. Hearing Nagato, Kimidori-san and Asakura discussing about this _**secret**_ that I needed to know, only increased my desire to uncover it, just like forbidding a kid from eating candy only makes him crave for it even more.

And I wondered why it had to be revealed BEFORE we returned. What was so important? But, if it was important for Nagato, then I had to know.

I opened the door, and all the girls looked at me. I wouldn't forget Nagato's look. She seemed so frightened, and sad, as if she was a child who had broken daddy's TV. And her eyes, they began getting wet. I couldn't just look at them. I instinctively hug her.

"Nagato, whatever it is that you need to tell me, just do it, I won't hurt you, okay?"  
Nagato began to cry and sob. I felt very uncomfortable, and I didn't want anyone else in school find out about it. It looked like I was the bad guy, I slowly took Nagato to the brigade room, while I was followed by Asakura and Kimidori-san, who closed the door behind her.

I picked up a chair for Nagato and waited until she finished crying. Nagato, what's wrong? What do you need to tell me that you're so afraid about?

"It... it wasn't Suzumiya Haruhi..."

Huh?

"It wasn't Suzumiya Haruhi... it... it was..."

What? It wasn't her what? I don't get it...

"Everything... we told you about Suzumiya Haruhi... her powers... recreating the world..."

Nagato looked at me with her teary eyes and said something I would never forget.

"Suzumiya Haruhi's powers... they... they were yours all the time!"

Her... powers? Mine? You're joking, right?

**End of chapter 9.**


	10. Chapter 10

I picked up a chair for Nagato and waited until she finished crying. Nagato, what's wrong? What do you need to tell me that you're so afraid about?

"It... it wasn't Suzumiya Haruhi..."

Huh?

"It wasn't Suzumiya Haruhi... it... it was..."

What? It wasn't her what? I don't get it...

"Everything... we told you about Suzumiya Haruhi... her powers... recreating the world..."

Nagato looked at me with her teary eyes and said something I would never forget.

"Suzumiya Haruhi's powers... they... **they were yours all the time**!"

Her... powers? Mine? You're joking, right?

Nagato shook her head after looking down at the table.

"Alright, this is some very sick joke!" I shouted, standing up. "Asakura, you made her say that, didn't you? Just how much pain do you want her to go through? Nagato, why are you doing this?"

Before I could react, I was smaked so hard that I fell down to the floor. The smack came from Asakura's palm.

"NO, IT'S NOT A JOKE, YOU ASSHOLE!!!"

This was the first time that I really saw Asakura get mad. And this confused me even more.

"YES! SHE SAID THE TRUTH! How much more time do you want to be in denial? Another 595 years? Yes, they were YOUR powers! Why do you keep doing this!"

"Doing what? What... what are you talking about?"

I looked at Nagato, who kept crying on the table, and at Kimidori-san, who just shook her head in disappointment. "Kimidori-san, I don't understand. What the hell is she talking about?"

Kimidori-san sighed. "Kyon-kun, please take a seat."

I slowly took a seat. I really wanted this to be a sick joke, but their expressions told me it wasn't a joke at all. To be honest, this scared me more than that giant cave cricket. Even more than Asakura's knife.

"Kyon-kun... you may not remember.... or actually, _want_ to remember, but... the one who gave Suzumiya-san her powers... was you."  
"What?"  
"Kyon-kun, we're 100% sure that the source of Suzumiya-san's powers is you. But, there is no way of proving it. At least, not to you. Some of us believe that you don't want to face the responsibility of carrying this power, so you gave it to Suzumiya-san, so you could blame it all on her. But then again... it's only a theory."

"I..."

I couldn't believe this. "Nagato, " I said, before shutting up. I was going to tell her. "This is a joke, right?" but seeing her crying like that... made me want to rephrase.

"Nagato... please tell me the truth. Is it... really true?"

Nagato wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at me briefly, and then she looked down again. "I'm... sorry... it's true. I... just didn't know how to tell you..."

Then she looked at me again, and said: "You don't believe me, do you?"

Aw, Nagato, don't look at me with those eyes!

She spoke again. "I'm sorry... I guess you weren't ready yet..."

I didn't know how to answer that, so I just stayed silent and scratched my neck. How did this happen? Why did this have to happen? How could I bring this girl that I cared so much about, to tears?

"Nagato I... I..."

I didn't know what to say. I hugged her. "I'm sorry, Nagato, I... I'm still not sure of what to believe in, but I trust you. I just... need some time..."

This was too much to bear. If what she said was true, then I was the one who made her suffer those 15498 iterations of time. It wasn't Haruhi, but me. This is... this is too much! But why would she lie? Why?

A lot of questions invaded my mind. If I really had these powers, where did they come from? Who gave them to me? And I certainly was sure I was not "god", or "a god". I was sure there was something else. But no matter how much I tried to think about it, something still felt wrong. Maybe... maybe when I go back everything will become clear.

I looked at Nagato again. She looked so hurt and vulnerable... what should I say in this case?

Should I really believe her? Why would she lie? But I wouldn't dare not trust her. She's saved my life numerous times... she even created this world for me. And even more important... she trusted me. Completely. So much that she...

I remembered her when she was blushing, and smiling at me under the bedsheets. Is this karma? I saw her smile, and now I had to see her cry?

Come on, you idiot! What are you waiting for! Do what a man has to do!

"Um... Nagato..." I said, while touching her hand. She seemed surprised that I did that, while looking at me. She seemed afraid, but not afraid of me... just... afraid.

"I... can we..."

What are you doing, you idiot! Just hug her!

"I'm sorry, Nagato!" I shouted, while hugging her. "I'm sorry..."

She hugged me back. She only said two words in a low voice.

"Thank you..."

Kimidori-san had interrupted us.

"Kyon-kun, can we speak for a moment, in private?"

"Uh? Okay..."

We got out of the room.

"Well?"

One word was all that I needed to understand. She wanted to know my opinion on all what had just happened.

"I guess I need more time... it was too sudden."  
"I know. I guess I won't be asking if you want to go back, because that decision is taken. Am I right?"  
"Yes."  
"Well, I guess that's all we need to speak for now. When we return, you'll have all the time you want to think about this."

I sighed. "You're right."

We got back to the room, and I was delighted to see the fragile little girl smiling again.

"Are you feeling better, Nagato?"

She nodded.

"Well," said Kimidori-san. "I think this is settled for now. I'll call Suzumiya-san and see how she's doing. Do you have the CD and the USB?"

"Oh! Let me check." I opened my schoolbag, and the CD was there alright.

"Please wear the USB around your neck. Just in case."  
"Alright."  
"Well, it's almost time to go. Nagato-san... have you really made up your mind?"

Nagato nodded without flinching. Her face looked serious, but not "Nagato alien-serious". Instead, she looked like someone who had just taken a decision and was determined to follow that decision. That determination triggered a deja-vu in my mind. It felt, in a way, like the Nagato who defended me against murderer Asakura, the giant cave cricket, or the deadly Mikuru-beam that nearly roasted my brain.

And yet, it was new and refreshing. All the guilt and doubt that I had experienced a few minutes ago, vanished like monsters before sunrise.

"Okay. It's settled then. I'll call Suzumiya-san. I see the PC's okay, right, Kyon-kun?"

"Yes, it's up and running."

"Perfect! Don't turn it off."  
"Okay."

Suddenly it felt like the old times. There was a plan to fix something and to save the world... again. Everyone was ready. I just kept wondering how a time machine could be implanted into this computer. How would it look like? How do we turn it on?

Before I could ask myself anymore of these questions, my cellphone rang. It was Haruhi, alright.

"Haruhi?"  
"John?"

John. It still felt awkward being called that. But hearing Haruhi's voice call my name (even if it wasn't my name) felt refreshing. I suppose that in the end, this alternate universe will become just another adventure in the book of my life.

"Yes, it's me. Everything's ready, we're just waiting for you and Koizumi and Asahina-san to arrive."  
"Great! We'll be there in five minutes. See ya!"

She hung up. Finally. **Finally**, we'll go back to my world.

"Kyon..."

It was Nagato this time. She held my hands. "These days... were the most beautiful days I've ever lived. Thank you."

Nagato stopped smiling. She looked at the table and continued. "This could possibly be... our last kiss."

"Our last? What do you mean?"  
"It's not guaranteed that the plan will succeed. If that doesn't happen..."

Her face turned sad. I held her hands. "Nagato, please don't think that. I promise, I'll do everything in my hands to -"

I couldn't finish my phrase. She kissed me and hugged me. It was a pretty long kiss, and neither of us wanted to stop. After we finished kissing, she hugged me again.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Nagato."

"Um... Nagato-san..."

It was Asakura this time.

"Nagato-san... perhaps I may not remember this when you go back, but... can I have... a goodbye kiss?"

Before I realized what was going on, I saw the most weird scene a man could ever witness. Two teenage girls kissing each other. In the mouth. Well actually it was Asakura who kissed Nagato - and that was a very important detail for me. You see, a bunch of feelings inside me began to fight each other - arousal, happiness, pity, and jealousy. Yes, jealousy. But what was I jealous for? I had just kissed Nagato a few seconds ago! What's going on with me! Anyway, it would have felt worse if Nagato had been the one starting the kiss. But why, why am I feeling so jealous? Did that mean that... I really began to fall in love with this girl, after all?

Maybe, if I was "God", did I make her fall in love with me?

And then I understood. I understood Nagato's words over the phone.

"It was my choice."

But... did that mean that there were other forces in the universe more powerful than Haruhi - or me? Of course there were. But then, if I gained these powers, where did they come from in the first place? Perhaps someone else passed them onto me just as I was supposed to pass them to Haruhi? And then who was the first? But, whatever. What was important was that Nagato made the choice to love me. Her words made sense more and more.

"It was my own choice."

But why did she tell me that? To make me realize that I had nothing to do with it? To certify that it wasn't a one-sided selfish love from my part?

It was clear and confusing at the same time, as if an even greater truth was hidden behind those words, but I still had no access to it.

And to my comfort, Asakura's kiss didn't seem as corresponded as Nagato's kiss with me. Did it mean that, really, Nagato was completely in love with me?

"Thank you, Nagato-san. Kyon-kun... don't forget anything that I told you, okay? I'll be watching... Nagato-san, please... take care... and don't let _that thing_ hurt you... " (she said that while pointing at me, while Nagato looked down, as if she had been just scolded by Asakura). "Good bye..."

Asakura began to frown, and ran away from the club room. Nagato looked a bit disturbed, still looking at the floor, while Kimidori-san sighed. What on Earth was that?

"Poor thing..." said Kimidori-san, shaking her head. "It must be so tough for her."

I understood. Watching Nagato leave this world, without her, and with me... it was just too painful for her. She just decided to say goodbye and leave.

"It's almost time", said Kimidori-san. "Kyon-kun, perhaps it would be wise to go to the bathroom now. Before the trip."  
"Oh, you're right. I'll be right back."  
"Nagato-san, I'll go with you."  
"Okay."

We got out, and Kimidori-san locked the club room from outside. Just a little trip to the restrooms, and we were ready to go.

While I was preparing myself to leave, I wondered if Nagato would leave with me. Wait a minute... what was the plan? Ah, yes, Kimidori-san, Nagato and I would leave.

Wait!

Does that mean... that when we go back to the past... there will be two Kimidoris, two Kyons, and two Nagatos... where one of them will be human?

And just what exactly is what we're supposed to do? I haven't discussed that part of the plan with Kimidori-san!

As I was thinking this, the bell rang, indicating the end of classes.

Soon Haruhi would be here, along with Koizumi.

I got out of the bathroom, and looked thru one of the hall windows to notice the rather small amount of students going to their homes. I had forgotten that there was a flu epidemic going around. I wonder why that flu wasn't present in our world... was it something that Nagato changed? And why? Or perhaps Haruhi did NOT wish for the flu to happen?

Whatever. I went back to the brigade room.

"It's almost time, Kyon-kun. You ready?"  
"Yes, but... Kimidori-san... what will we do when we go to the past?"  
"We're going to meet with Asahina-san. Then we're going to stay the night at my apartment. Tomorrow we'll talk with Nagato-san and inform her of the current events."

I see... wait... you mean she already knows? Nagato... you mean you already knew what was going to happen? Uh...

Kimidori-san chuckled at my reaction. "Don't worry about the details, Kyon-kun. We will only share the necessary information. You'll see."

"Okay... if you say so..."

Someone knocked from outside.

"Who is it?"  
"John?"

Nagato swallowed and held my hand in anxiety. Yes, it was _her_. Finally, Haruhi had arrived.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

I went back to the brigade room.

"It's almost time, Kyon-kun. You ready?"  
"Yes, but... Kimidori-san... what will we do when we go to the past?"  
"We're going to meet with Asahina-san. Then we're going to stay the night at my apartment. Tomorrow we'll talk with Nagato-san and inform her of the current events."

I see... wait a minute. If we informed her of the current events, does that mean that right now, she already knows what was going to happen?

"Nagato... you mean you already knew what was going to happen? Uh..."

Kimidori-san chuckled at my reaction. "Don't worry about the details, Kyon-kun. We will only share the necessary information. You'll see."

"Okay... if you say so..."

Someone knocked from outside.

"Who is it?"  
"John?"

Nagato swallowed and held my hand in anxiety. Yes, it was _her_. Finally, Haruhi had arrived.

"Yes, come in!" I said, noticing that Nagato dropped my hand right away.

And then, _she_ entered. I felt chills running all over my body when I watched Haruhi wearing her usual North High uniform. With long hair, but it was _her_ alright. And with Koizumi behind her, this really felt like going back home.

It was in this moment that I realized how much I wanted to go back.

"Hey, John, stop making that stupid face", she complained. "You look like an idiot."  
"Ah, sorry."  
"Yuki! How've you been?"  
"Uh... fine, thanks..."  
"So! Is this the famous SOS brigade room?" she asked. Walking around, she started complaining about how boring it looked. "It needs a lot of modifications... we would need someone to store clothes, hey, at least there's a fridge in here. Do you keep beer in here? So! Where's the time machine?"

"Please excuse her", said Koizumi. "She hasn't stopped talking about this adventure all the way."

I didn't mind at all. I even enjoyed it. The more she talked, the more I wanted to go back. Wait a second, I think I'm forgetting something. Nagato, are you alright?

"Yes, I'm fine", she said, smiling briefly.  
"I..."  
"It's okay."

"So... where's the time machine?" she kept asking.

"It's right here", answered Kimidori-san, pointing at the computer.  
"Are you sure? It looks like an old computer to me."

Nagato answered, and her tone of voice reminded me of the old Nagato that I knew.

"Yes, but only in the three known physical dimensions. It also contains a time traveling program that will be activated -"

Nagato noticed my smile while I was looking at her, and blushed. "Anyway... it's also a time machine."  
"So.. how does it work?." asked Haruhi, closing my pending game of solitaire. Hey, you shouldn't mess with other people's stuff! Well, not that I cared, but...

"Please leave that to me," replied Kimidori-san, gently pushing Haruhi's arm away from the keyboard. "We need to be very careful with this."  
"Oh... okay."  
"Suzumiya-san, I think it's time for us to sit down and explain the plan in detail."  
"Okay."

Kimidori-san explained in detail what we should do, how we would meet the adult version of Asahina-san, and how she would take us to the present, before the world was changed.

"So, any questions so far?"

Haruhi raised her hand.

"Yes, Suzumiya-san?"  
"Yes. I want to go, too!"

Haruhi's words froze us all.

"You say you're going to three years ago... just when I met John, right?"  
"Yes..."  
"Please!" Haruhi shouted at the same time she stood up and hammered her empty hands against the table. You have to let me go with you!"

I didn't know what to say. But then Haruhi stared at me. "John! Please! You have to let me go with you!"  
"But... I don't know! This could complicate things further..."  
"PLEASE!!!"

Then I heard Kimidori-san's reply.

"Sure! You can come, too."

Kimidori-san?!?!

"But there are certain rules you must follow."  
"What rules?"  
"First, you must avoid contacting your younger self at all costs. Second, you must not try to alter the past at all. Otherwise we would end up in a worse situation than the one we're currently facing."

"I see..."

I wasn't sure if Haruhi would obey the rules. After all, she was born a rule-breaker. Kimidori-san, are you sure everything will be fine?

"Yes, I'm sure, Kyon-kun. You'll understand later."  
"Alright, if you say so..."

Someone knocked the door.  
"Hello?"

It was Asahina-san.

"Come in!"

Asahina-san opened the door, and as soon as she entered, the computer beeped. The screen turned black, and I saw some words appearing on the screen.

YUKI.N If you see this, then I'm probably no longer myself. It's very probable that my memories may have been altered, too. If Kimidori Emiri is with you, please allow her to continue the process. Otherwise, press ENTER to read further.

"Nagato... you did this?"

Nagato looked at me. "Yes, the escape program is in process of activation."

"Let me handle this", said Kimidori-san. "Nagato-san?"

Nagato-san nodded. Then Kimidori-san pressed the CTRL, ALT and DELETE buttons, making the black screen disappear and the screen turned into the normal colorful display it was before. And a window opened, titled "Time travel Escape Program."

After a few clicks with the mouse, Kimidori-san entered the names of the people who would travel to the past:

Kyon (obligatory)  
Nagato Yuki (obligatory)  
Kimidori Emiri (obligatory)  
Suzumiya Haruhi_

A window popped up, saying: "The subjects have been identified. Time travel program will start when indicated."

Everyone in the room stared at the computer screen.  
"So, is that how it works?" asked Haruhi.  
"Yes, I made it somewhat user-friendly. Kyon-kun, your backpack."  
"I have it right here."  
"Do you have the CD and the flash memory with you?"  
"Yes, I have them right here."  
"Nagato-san?"  
Nagato nodded.  
"Suzumiya-san, we're going to the past right now. Are you ready?"  
"What? Uh..."  
"Don't worry, you don't need to carry anything else."  
"Okay, I'm ready then."

Kimidori-san clicked on a menu item, revealing a dialog.

"This is your last chance. If you choose to remain in this world, please exit the program. If you wish to travel to the past and return to your world, click on the "Go" button. To return to the main menu, click 'Cancel'. Ready?".

Kimidori-san spoke again. "Kyon-kun, it's your choice."

I looked at Nagato, at Haruhi, and everyone in the room. Did I really want to go back?

Of course I did. But there was a last question I needed to ask.

"Nagato... is it really OK with you?"  
She smiled briefly, and nodded. That was all I wanted to know.

"Alright. Here we go..."

"WAIT!"

We turned all to the door, and found a worried Asakura Ryoko, who looked desperate. And from her cheeks it seemed that she had cried a lot. Before I could worry that she would foil our plans or something, she spoke.

"Nagato-san... before you go, I have a request..."  
"Yes?"  
"When you restore the world to its former state... I'd like to be brought back... even as a human... you know why... please?"

Nagato nodded.

"Thank you... you're free to go now..." she continued, while she began to cry and smile at the same time.

"Alright", I said. "Can we go now?"

Everybody nodded, except Asahina-san who was still guessing what was going to happen. I clicked on the "Go!" button in the popup dialog, and everything turned dark. I started to hear some voices, and felt that my stomach began to go to my throat. I had forgotten this feeling. Please, I feel like I'm going to throw up!

Then I felt like everything stopped moving, and the nauseating sensation went away. When I opened my eyes, everything was dark. "Hello?"

"John?" said a voice to my right.  
"I'm here. Nagato?"  
"Here", said a voice to my left.

Someone turned the lights on. It was Kimidori-san.

"Wh.. what happened?" asked Haruhi. "Where are we?"

This is... the literature club room! But things are different... there was no computer, but there was an old bookcase.

"Did we do it?" asked Haruhi. "We traveled to the past? And why is it so hot in here?"  
"That's right, Suzumiya-san. Oh, it's hot in here because it's summer. But now we must go. Technically, we're trespassing the school."  
Saying this, she turned off the lights and we proceeded to escape the school. Luckily, nobody noticed us.

"John..." said Haruhi. "I know that it's not winter, and that it's not afternoon. But still, It's hard to accept that we traveled back in time so easily..."  
"Yeah. I felt like this the first time, before I met you here."  
"Can we go to a mini mart? I'd really like to find out the date."

What does the date have to do with a mini-mart!?

"What do you mean what does it have to do? Would you like to go around people and ask them what year is it?"

Well, now that you put it this way, no...

"The best place to find out the current date is a newspaper. And where can you find newspapers at this time of the day?"

"Uh... a mini mart?"  
"Right!"

But I didn't know if this was OK. After all, we had to meet with Asahina-san. What would happen if we miss the appointment?

"We still have time, Kyon-kun. Don't worry about it."

We arrived at a minimart, and Haruhi looked at a newspaper.  
"John! Look at the date!"  
"What?"

I looked at the date. It looked like a lucky number, alright. Hey, wait a minute! This is the date! It's Tanabata, three years ago!

"John, let's go!"

Haruhi pulled me by the sleeve and began to run frantically, but then stopped.  
"Wait. Where are we going?"  
"To the park", answered Kimidori-san.  
"Well, what are we waiting for!? Let's go!"

Oh, how I missed seeing Haruhi's million-watt smile. It was exhausting, but I was happy. I was already back in my world... and with a beautiful Nagato that could smile, and blush. What more could I ask?

After a few minutes of running, we arrived to the park. I remember it as if it was yesterday. In that bench, I met with the adult Asahina-san, and she told me to go to the schools to help "someone".

Now, where is she?

"Over here..."

Hiding behind some bushes, there she was. Wearing her teacher attire, and a smile so radiant anyone could fall in love with her.

"Asahina-san!"  
Asahina-san sighed in relief. "I was starting to get worried, I was worrying that the date and time could be wrong... but you're here, Kyon-kun", she said, smiling again.

"As I expected, you came too, Suzumiya-san... nice to meet you", she said, bending over a little.  
"Uh... and you're..."  
"Asahina Mikuru", she said, grabbing her right arm with her left hand behind her back. "A bit older than the one you met, but it's still me."  
"Mikuru-chan?"  
"That's right!" she said, smiling. "We still have time. What would you like to talk about?"

Haruhi interrupted. "The school... could I go take a look?"  
"Just promise me you won't talk to your younger self, okay? Promise?"

Asahina-san stretched her pinky and made Haruhi promise.

"Kyon-kun, after Suzumiya-san finishes watching, remember there's something you have to do..."  
"What?"

Realizing I was clueless, Asahina-san put her hands on her waist and tilted her head a little. "Don't tell me you don't remember? Perhaps Suzumiya-san can refresh your memory. Suzumiya-san, you remember meeting John Smith twice, right?"  
"Yes..."  
"Oh, you're right!" I shouted. That would be the me that is here right now, right? Wait a minute, Asahina-san. Who told you we would be here? Weren't you surprised that we arrived?

She smiled again. "Everything was planned in advance, Kyon-kun! How do you think I got to this rank?" she boasted, inflating her chest in pride. Hey, don't do that, you're making me nervous! You better be careful, or that button in your shirt is going to pop out like a bullet. Sheesh, what am I thinking?

"Now," she continued, "please take Suzumiya-san to the school while I discuss some things with Nagato-san and Kimidori-san. Suzumiya-san, don't go create a major paradox by disobeying Kyon-kun... er... John. Remember the whole universe is at stake. Okay?" she added, while winking.

Haruhi nodded.

"Oh, Kyon-kun, remember to hide from Suzumiya-san and from our other selves. Just in case you forgot."  
"Oh, right."  
"Well, I'll be waiting for you. Good luck!" she said, waving.

Haruhi began walking towards East junior high.

"John... you're such a perv."  
"What?"  
"You eyes almost popped out of their orbits when looking at her breasts. At least you could be more discrete!"  
Hey, sorry for being a healthy male! And it's not my fault that she's grown so...  
"Well, you're right. Now that you mention it, I'm a bit curious. I wonder what size they are now... do you think she'd let me check her out?"

DON'T SAY THAT! I'm nervous enough already!  
"Idiot."

Haruhi began speeding up speeding up with every step she took. Wait, you're losing me!

"Well, hurry up!"  
Here we go again... a few minutes later, we were there. We managed to take a look at what was happening inside the school. It was weird... looking at myself painting those signs on the sports field.

"So... it was you... it was you, alright..."  
I looked at Haruhi at my left, and she was... crying? Is it just me, or everyone here is beginning to get sentimental? First Nagato, then Haruhi, then Asakura, and now Haruhi again. Never mind.

As the younger Haruhi was about to finish the last drawings, I realized it was time to go. If she saw us here, very bad things would happen. "Okay, time to go. Where did you meet me after you went outside the school?"  
"A few blocks down..."  
"Alright, let's go."

Haruhi and I began our jog downhill, making sure we didn't fall down. A few blocks later, we stopped.

"Here. I was going home this way, and you called me from behind."  
"So, this is where we should hide?"  
"Uh huh".

We hid behind some bushes.

"So, what did I say?"  
"Take good care of the John Smith who would shock the world!", Haruhi whispered.  
"Okay."

We waited a few minutes, and I began hearing some child steps approaching.  
"Is that you?"  
"Let me see... yes, it's me."

It was her, alright. A few steps after she passed us, I stepped out of the bushes, and yelled as loud as I could.

"Hey!"

The younger Haruhi turned around. Here I go.

"Take good care of John Smith, who would shock the world!"

Would that work? It had to, right? Otherwise we wouldn't be here... but deep inside, I said to myself: Please, Haruhi, remember that name.

The younger Haruhi disappeared from sight, and I sighed. "It's done."

"John..."  
"Yes?"

I was quite surprised, because Haruhi began kissing me without giving me time to react.

W... what was that for?

"For everything. John..."  
"Yes?"  
"If you asked me to have sex with you, right here, right now... I wouldn't say no."

Hey, what kind of confession is that!? But before I could utter any word, I was pushed down to the floor, with Haruhi on top of me, and oh my god, they're so soft!

"John... I think... I'm falling in love with you..."  
What the hell!?  
"It's not fair, you know! You're already taken... at least... let me kiss you once more..."

Dammit, this wasn't in the plan! Haruhi kissed me and I didn't know how to react. Fortunately, we were interrupted by the steps and voices of some people approaching. Fortunately? I don't think so, it's my other self!

"Quick, hide!"

We quickly jumped behind the bushes until they, I mean Asahina-san and I, were out of sight.

"Should we wait a couple more minutes?" asked Haruhi.  
"Yeah. Just in case."  
"Haruhi, don't do that again. At least, not in critical times like this."  
"Sorry."  
"No problem."  
"John..."  
"Yes?"  
"Did you like it?"

I had to turn away. "I... refuse to answer that question!"  
"Okay..."

Haruhi sat down against the wall. "So, John...in that other timeline... did I fall in love with you?"

"Good question." I remembered the sealed space, and Koizumi's insinuations of telling her "I looooove you...". You know, I hadn't realized until now. I knew she liked me, but to the point of falling in love with me?

"I'm not sure... and I'm afraid of finding out. But you know, Haruhi, Koizumi told me that he likes you."  
"Hmmm...."

For some reason, I felt comfortable openly talking with Haruhi about these matters. She had never expressed her feelings in a such straightforward way. She was always using her role as the brigade leader to hide what she really wanted to say.

"John, what will happen when the world changes back?"  
What do you mean what will happen? Everything will go back to normal, and we'll be as happy as we've always been.  
"Yeah, but what about me?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"Whose memories will remain? Mine, or my other self's?"

Whoa. I hadn't thought about this at all.

"John... I want to remember! I want to remember meeting you, I want to remember going back in time..."

Hey, that's not fair! Your other self has also the right to remember! Our adventures, our vacations in the lone island, your excellent concert in school...

"It's not fair!" she shouted. "Before I met you, I felt like my life had no sense at all, I don't want to let go! I don't want to lose you..."  
"Look, Haruhi, why don't you talk about this to Asahina-san? Maybe we can come up with something."

Haruhi let a long sigh. "You're right, John. Well, let's go." We stepped out of the bushes and proceeded to walk towards the park, where Asahina-san, Kimidori-san and Nagato were waiting for us.

"We're here."

"Just in time, Kyon-kun. Time to go to Kimidori-san's apartment."  
Kimidori-san added: "We'll stay there until your other self finishes explaining the matters to Nagato-san."

As we were walking to Nagato's apartment, I kinda imagined us as the hobbits in a jolly trip to meet with the elves in the council of Elrond. Quite a weird group we were: A former deity, a former alien... no, wait, two former aliens, and a grown-up time traveler. And of course, me, John Smith. Just as I was having fun with this mental image, my right arm felt a soft hug. It was Nagato. Nagato, is something wrong?

"I'm scared..."  
"Of what?"  
"I... don't want to lose my emotions... I like it being like this..."

What a coincidence. Haruhi told me exactly the same thing. Wait... I had forgotten that Nagato didn't want to go back in the first place. And yet, she was here, with me... because she loved me. I began to feel guilty for her.

"Don't worry, Nagato, everything will be fine."

We arrived, and Kimidori dialed the number of her own apartment. I could hear her voice answering from the intercom.

"Yes?"  
"It's me, Kimidori Emiri. We have a few guests, including Suzumiya Haruhi."  
"Well, that's surprising", replied the Kimidori-san from the intercom. "Come in."

As we were taking the elevator, I could notice that Nagato was getting more and more anxious.

"Kyon... I'm scared..."  
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Right, Kimidori-san?"  
"You don't worry, Nagato-san. Leave everything to me."  
"But..."  
"Everything will be fine, Nagato-san", added Kimidori-san. "Trust me."  
"Okay."

As we arrived to the 6th floor, we approached Kimidori-san's apartment. Finally, she rang her bell. Before I could notice, Nagato hid behind me. Nagato, what's wrong?

The door opened, and Kimidori-san spoke. "Come in, please."  
Everyone stepped inside, except Nagato and I. Nagato kept hiding behind me, as if she would be somehow punished for being a bad child. She was shaking in fear.

"Nagato-san?" exclaimed the alien Kimidori-san. "What happened to you?"

The two girls, the alien and the human, looked at each other. Nagato's face went pale white, as if she had just seen a ghost. Before I could notice, she fainted.

"Nagato! Are you alright? Nagato!!"

**End of chapter 11.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

The door opened, and Kimidori-san spoke. "Come in, please."  
Everyone stepped inside, except Nagato and I. Nagato kept hiding behind me, as if she would be somehow punished for being a bad child. She was shaking in fear.

"Nagato-san?" exclaimed the alien Kimidori-san. "What happened to you?"

The two girls, the alien and the human, looked at each other. Nagato's face went pale white, as if she had just seen a ghost. Before I could notice, she fainted.

That moment lasted less than a few milliseconds, but for me it was eternal. In that brief lapse of time, I understood many things. When Asakura tried to kill me with a knife, I almost pissed my pants. I was scared to death when I found myself trapped in a closed space with Haruhi. But watching Nagato faint like that... was the worst scare of my life.

"Nagato! Are you alright? Nagato!!"

Desperate, I looked at Kimidori-san. "Help her... DO SOMETHING!!! Nagato, please wake up... Nagato!!!"

A female voice calmed me down.  
"Kyon-kun, please relax... she just fainted."

I looked at Asahina-san. "Kyon-kun... you can't help her while in panic. She's fine, she just fainted. Let's put her on Kimidori-san's bed."

I picked her up and carefully carried her to Kimidori-san's bed. My hands were shaking so much that anyone would believe I had Parkinson's disease. If there only was a way to determine whether she was safe or not...

Of course! Why didn't I think of it earlier? Kimidori-san is an alien, too! She can read Nagato's vital signs in a flinch! But which one is which? Ah, whatever!

"Her vital signs, please!"  
Without even moving, the one at the left spoke:

"Body Temperature: 37.5 degrees centigrade. Pulse rate: 73.2 beats per minute, within normal values. Systolic blood pressure: 118 mmHg, within normal values. Diastolic blood pressure: 68 mmHg, within normal values. Vital organs status: No anomalies found. Blood vessels analysis: No anomalies found. Brain tissue condition: Emotional shock, standard for human beings. No permanent damage found. Estimated recovery time: 25 minutes.

The other Kimidori-san closed her eyes, took her hand to her chest, and sighed. "Thank goodness. She's fine, Kyon-kun. She just needs some rest."

Thank God... thank God.

The alien Kimidori-san spoke. "Kyon-kun, you need to calm down, too, your pulse rate is abnormally high."

"I know... I know!"  
"Would you like some tea?"  
I nodded.  
"I'll be right back, Kyon-kun. Then you can tell me what happened to myself and Nagato-san."

I nodded, and took a series of deep breaths. But my hands were still shaking. What the hell just happened?

I looked at Nagato, and noticed that her glasses had fallen on the floor. I put them on the nightstand. Nagato, you scared me so much!

When I turned around, I noticed that Kimidori-san had changed clothes. I think this is the human Kimidori-san.

"We can leave now, Kyon-kun, and let Nagato-san recover."

I nodded again. "You're right." I caressed Nagato's cheek with my fingertips. Oh, she looked so beautiful... and peaceful. But... why? Why did you faint, Nagato?

There were a lot of things that I didn't know. Sigh... but don't worry, Nagato, I'll do everything in my power to help you. Sleep well.

I got out of Kimidori-san's bedroom, and closed the door.

"Please take a seat, Kyon-kun".

We were all sitting on the table while the alien Kimidori-san (who was still wearing school clothes) served us tea. She proceeded to sit down, too. To my right was Asahina-san, then Haruhi, then Kimidori-san (the human one), and finally, to my left, the alien Kimidori-san.

I drank the tea. Wow, this thing really tastes good.

"Um, I think I should first explain to my other self what happened", said the human Kimidori-san.

"Thank you, I'm quite intrigued by the recent events. I have a slight idea of what happened, but I need details. Also, meeting you so soon, Kyon-kun, Suzumiya-san, was quite unexpected. But I guess this is not the time to negotiate, am I right?"

Human Kimidori nodded. "Right. And sorry for not being able to synchronize, but, as you can see... I can't do it right now. For now, I put my safety and Nagato-san's in your hands."

"Do not worry, I have complete authority over this room. And we have no intentions of doing any harm to any of you", the alien Kimidori added with a smile. Well, that was quite comforting to hear - especially after remembering the scare I had to go through when meeting Asakura in that dreaded classroom.

I noticed that Asahina-san sighed, too.

"Would you mind if we explain everything to Suzumiya-san first? She's ready to know, now." asked human Kimidori.  
"Let me synchronize... done. No, no problem."

I turned around at the bedroom, wondering how Nagato would be.

"Kyon-kun", said Asahina-san. "You don't need to worry about her."  
"Sorry... it's just that it's the first time that something like this happens to her. And she's human now... and she's so... so..."  
"Delicate?"  
"Yes, that's the word!"  
"Rest assured, Kyon-kun. I can't tell you the details because they're classified, but she will be fine."  
"She will?"

Asahina-san smiled, and nodded.

"Oh, thank God! I feel much better now."

"So... " said Haruhi. "How did all of this start?"

"Perhaps my other self can tell you", said the Human Kimidori.

Alien Kimidori spoke.

"It began a few hours ago... three years from the time where you come from. We detected an explosion of information coming down from this city. As data-based lifeforms, we don't possess physical bodies, nor the means to contact you. This is why we were "born". We were given humanoid interfaces, to be able to communicate with humans. So far you know me, and Nagato-san. There's also Asakura Ryoko, who lives below, in apartment 505.

"Yeah, we know her", answered Haruhi.

"We are interested in the source of this explosion of information. We are seeking ways to escape from our evolutionary limit. The ability that you possess, Suzumiya-san, or at least, possessed, is much greater than ours. We can read and modify data in the known universe, but you can create data from nothing. It is that ability that we're interested in."

"Create data... I'm not very sure what you mean..."  
Human Kimidori spoke. "In other words, you can modify your environment and make things happen. Open gates to parallel universes, create new life forms, to be honest, we are quite cautious about you. We are afraid that you might destroy us any time. It's a remote possibility, but the fact that this possibility just exists, is a great problem for us. This is why we decided to take the safe route, and only observe the events happening around you.

"Wow... so I do have those powers?"  
"At least, the 'you' that belongs to this time frame does."  
"But how? How did I get these powers?"

The alien Kimidori-san looked at me. Sigh. Well, I guess she must know this part, too.

"Kyon-kun... this is, John Smith, gave them to you."  
"WHAT?"

It was my turn to speak now. "Well you see..." I said, scratching my neck, "I just found out today. Turns out I was the original 'owner' of these powers.

Haruhi opened her eyes wide. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"  
"Hey! I just found out! And it wasn't pleasant to hear that, either!"  
"Uh? Why not?"

The Endless August... sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Human Kimidori put her hand on my shoulder. "Don't feel guilty, Kyon-kun... you didn't know."  
"Yeah, but Nagato... if I only knew..."  
"Everybody involved was responsible - and Nagato-san had no means to tell you, she had to follow orders."  
"Yeah, but it's not fair to her! How would YOU feel if you had to live through those two weeks for more than fifteen thousand times!"  
"I did, Kyon-kun."

What?

"But it was still my duty... and I accepted it. Yes, it was painful, much more than you can imagine... but it was the only way to fulfill our mission, please understand..."

"I'm... sorry, I didn't know..."

"Wait a minute", said Haruhi. "Are you talking about those vacations? I thought that was my fault! And now it turns out it wasn't?"

Kimidori-san wiped a tear from her eye, and sniffed. She really looked sad now. Just like she looked like when she introduced to us during the giant cricket incident.

"Not exactly... both you and Kyon-kun were the originating factors for those vacations repeating for so much time... still, I really can't use the word "responsible". You didn't know, after all. Oh, sorry. We went off track, here. Kyon-kun, don't let guilt stain your judgment."

Yes, but Nagato...

"We're fine, now. Yes, it was a traumatic experience, but we can cope with it. We can, and we must. You're not responsible for our recovery. We are."

Well, I guess you're right.

After a few seconds of silence, Alien Kimidori continued with her speech.

"So, Kyon-kun, or as he's better known among us, John Smith, acquired the ability to create data. It seems it is executable code which can be transferred to a different owner. Based on Earthly computer conventions, we decided to call this user, 'root'"

"Root?"  
"Maybe you'll understand later, Kyon-kun. What is important is that we don't know how this program was created, or who is the original owner. The knowledge of this is restricted, even to us. But there are pieces of information that remain from the previous iteration of the known universe. Even as we speak, the Integrated Data Sentient Entity is working on deciphering the data. But it seems that our efforts will be in vain without contacting you first.

"Me? Why me?"  
" It seems that you allowed these remainders to reach us, Kyon-kun."  
"I did?"  
"Yes."  
"But how? Why?"

"This information is restricted from us - at least in this time frame. However, if you recover your root privileges, then perhaps you'll be able to remember _everything_. What I see is that there is resident code within you, waiting for that to happen."

Wait a minute - resident code? What does that mean?

Human Kimidori spoke. "Hmmm... Let me see how I can explain... it's like a computer virus, but harmless. It just needs to be triggered to be run."

Uh, Kimidori-san... I didn't like that 'virus' at all. Can't you use a less frightening analogy?

"Okay, let's use a car analogy then. Imagine you have a car stereo, but you don't have the detachable panel. There's a CD inside, but it's locked. You can't read its contents until you put the panel in there. In this case, the panel, is the data creation ability that resides within Suzumiya-san. However, there is other related information available, like the CD cover, which can be found inside the glove compartment. And you have the key."

I see... well, that's much easier to understand now. But still, I find it hard to believe that I this hidden power inside me.

"We can unlock this additional information _right now_, Kyon-kun. But I must warn you... deep inside you reside partial and incomplete memories of your life before this day. Before the world had been re-created. You might not like these memories... they may be too painful to bear with."

"Wait a second... I remember everything that happened three years ago... I was in middle school, and my sister was still in elementary."

The two Kimidoris looked at each other. The human Kimidori spoke.

"Um... Kyon-kun... this might be difficult for you to accept... but... there's the possibility that your family might have been created three years ago. This means, this year."

You're kidding me, right?

"Wait a minute, John."

It was Haruhi who spoke.

"Remember in our talk in the cafeteria... that you mentioned the possibility of the entire world being created three years ago?"

"Yes, I remember, why?"

"So... what if it's true? What if the world... this world... is only a few hours old?"  
"Haruhi, don't tell me that, you're scaring me."  
"But it would make sense... perhaps... I don't know, maybe _some parts _of the world were recreated... and in those -"

Haruhi remained silent for some reason. And that scared me even more.

"Haruhi... why did you shut up?"  
"I... John, you HAVE to find out! If what they say is true, then maybe MY life hadn't been created until today! I'm involved too! Don't you think *I* have the right to know, too?"

Holy crap. She was right. There was no turning back now. If... my life had been hiding a terrible secret, it would be only fair to know it. And I had the feeling that if I refused, I might end up hurting Nagato... _again_. One thing's sure: I don't want to see her cry ever again. I want her to be happy. And after 15,498 iterations, she deserves it alright.

Still, the possibility that my whole life had been a lie... scared me. Not just scared... it terrified me. I really didn't know if I _wanted_ to know. If I created this world... maybe it was to forget something that I didn't want to remember.

"So... Kimidori-san... if you... _unlock_ this program, or knowledge, or whatever you call it... I will remember _everything?_

"We're not sure, Kyon-kun. It could be just one second, one hour... one day, or maybe everything. How much you'll remember, is unknown to us. But you will remember _something_. That's a certainty. And it scares me, too... what if you decide not to help us after all? And right now, we can't -"

Things were getting more mysterious each minute. Kimidori-san had just been shut up by... Kimidori-san!

What was she going to say just about now?

"I'm sorry, Kyon-kun", said the alien Kimidori-san. "We cannot say more. By now you should know the risks of obtaining this knowledge. It is your choice. Your memories may return... you could lose your sanity... or you could just simply stop caring about anything. You could perceive that your whole life might lose its meaning. But if you choose to _remember_, and if you choose to help us, I'm sure this exchange would be mutually beneficial. As my other self just said, we are scared of the consequences, too. But we believe it is a risk worth taking. At least for us."

"What about Nagato? What will happen to her?"  
"You're worried about her, Kyon-kun?"  
"Of course I'm worried about her! I..."

I couldn't believe what I was going to say. I was going to say that I loved her.

"I see... well, this is unexpected. Kyon-kun, what happened exactly after December the 18th?"

"I..."

I looked at Haruhi, and at Asahina-san. I felt totally uncomfortable with that question. I didn't know if I wanted to answer. After all, what happened between Nagato and I was a completely private matter.

"Do I really have to answer?"

The alien Kimidori replied. "No, Kyon-kun. But I'm growing curious. I can deduce some of the events that took place on December the 18th. Nagato-san reconstructed the world... and she and I became human, right?"

That's right.

Kimidori-san looked at her other self.

"Tell me", she said to her human self. "Is becoming human an experience worth trying?"  
"To be honest, I find it very uncomfortable and frightening. But perhaps you should ask Nagato-san. I think she has experienced a much wider range of emotions than I have. And I'm sure she wants to share all that she learned in the last three days."

"I see..." she said, taking her hand to her chin. Then, she looked at me.

"Kyon-kun, I think we can make a deal. If you accept to gain the hidden knowledge inside you, I can guarantee Nagato-san's safety, and that she won't be punished for whatever she did."

Wait a minute, Punishment? What do you mean?

"You don't know, Kyon-kun?"  
"Know what?"  
"The punishment for rebelling against the Integrated Data Sentient Entity... is deletion."

The moment that Kimidori-san said that, I felt like Oedipus when he learned that he had killed his own father. I understood everything. I understood why Nagato was so scared, and _why_ she fainted. And I remembered what she had told me when she took me to her apartment that day. How could I forget so easily!? I'm such an idiot! And now, she was threatened with deletion!?

You got to be kidding me! If someone's responsible for her actions, it's me! It was that stupid time loop! If you want to punish someone, it has to be me, NOT HER!!

"I see... Kyon-kun. We promise not to harm her, if you agree to remember. Is it a deal?"  
"Of course! How could I let her die because of me?"

The alien-kimidori smiled faintly. "It is a deal, then. She won't be harmed."  
"Promise?"  
"Yes, we promise."

I closed my eyes, and sighed.  
"Thank God."

After opening my eyes, I realized everyone else had sighed after hearing that. And I was glad, because it was Nagato, _our_ Nagato, _my _Nagato that we were talking about.

"Thank you."  
"No, thank you, Kyon-kun. Actually, I have to be honest. I was bluffing."  
"What?"  
"We had no intentions of harming Nagato-san in the first place. Right now, she's just as valuable to us as you are. But I thank you for agreeing to this."

I didn't know how to answer that one. I didn't know if I should feel upset at being manipulated, or feel glad that they didn't plan to hurt Nagato after all. But it was comforting to know that she was safe now.

"Well, Kyon-kun, I think it's time to unlock the data inside you. Are you ready?"

What, _right now_? Uh, what do I have to do?

"Just stand up, and I'll take care of the rest."  
"Okay... here I am."

I took a deep breath. Nagato, everyone... here we go. Let's hope I don't regret this later.

"Ready, Kyon-kun?"  
"Yes, I'm ready."  
"Alright. Here I go."

I looked at Haruhi who was speechless right now. She just kept staring at me in awe. I guess I _am_ that mysterious, aren't I?

My thoughts were interrupted by Kimidori-san, who stretched her hand towards me and began muttering some words. I remembered how Nagato did the same when saving me from Asakura that day.

Wow, this is taking long... it's been nearly 5 minutes and Kimidori-san keeps reciting her stuff. I yawned.

"Sorry!"

A few seconds later, she finished.

"Okay, it's done."  
"What? What do you mean it's done? I didn't feel _anything_!"  
"Oh, but you will, Doctor."

Upon hearing that word, everything around me felt upside down. Hey, wait a minute, am I glowing?

What am I doing here? What is this place? How did I get here? Where are my companions? Did we win? Is the universe safe? What happened to the Tardis? Is the Master finally dead? Who are you people? Who am I? What am I doing in this body, and in this universe? Wait... I think I'm beginning to remember... my family... sister... mom... dad... my whole life appeared in front of my eyes, and then...

nothing. I think I remembered _everything_ for a second... but I lost it. Damn, I was THIS close of understanding _EVERYTHING!_

Oh my head... somebody.. help me... I'm starting to hear voices coming from nowhere... some of other people, some people in the present, some of people in the past, some of people in the future, and some of my self. Where did everyone go? Why is everything black?

"John, John!"  
"Kyon-kun, are you alright?"  
"Where am I?"  
"It must not fall in the wrong hands!"  
"Kimidori-san, what's going on with him?"  
"If I die, you're coming with me..."  
"You have been chosen by Suzumiya Haruhi."  
"He will be fine."  
"Today... you will die. Goodbye, doctor."  
"Hold on, Kyon-kun! You can do it... please be strong!"  
"No! You had it all the time with you? You bastard!"  
"This is it... it's all or nothing. I need to find someone, someone!"  
"We could describe such a being... as God."  
"His vital signs are deteriorating..."  
"John, don't die! Don't leave me in here!"  
"Time is like a set of pictures in a slide show..."  
"We found a close match, but her emotions are very unstable."  
"Any other matches?"  
"I will kill you and see how Suzumiya Haruhi reacts."  
"John! Don't die! Kimidori-san, do something!"  
"We have no time!"  
"Suzumiya-san, he will be fine... it's a temporary shock, but he'll be fine."  
"Do it!"  
"When the crisis comes, you will be the first."  
"Suzumiya Haruhi. Japan, Earth. 21st Century."  
"She's the one..."  
"Nagato-san! You need to rest!"  
"Goodbye, universe..."  
"Kyon-kun, phone..."  
"Kyon? What's happening to him!"  
"Doctor... it's working! We saved the universe!"  
"Altair and Vega."  
"Kyon! What's going on with him!"  
"But it's too late for me..."  
"We are living inside a time loop."  
"I love you..."  
"It's not too late... she believes in you. You'll live a whole new life from scratch... it's your choice."  
"We must find the crystal crescent!"  
"Oh my God, he's got a fever! Are you sure it's fine?"  
"Do you believe in aliens?"  
"Do it. I want to see the fruit of our work."  
"Forgot to reconstruct glasses."  
"Synchronization achieved! We did it, doctor!"  
"What will happen to you?"  
"Are you an idiot?"  
"Good bye, John Smith. It was a pleasure meeting you."  
"No, don't die..."  
"Mikuru-beam!"  
"I'm sorry..."  
"Kyon, resist... it'll be over in a minute..."  
"Ah... death... never thought it'd be so... painful... but it's... for the best..."  
"Do you remember Snow White?"  
"AAAARGH!"  
"It's a boy! Congratulations!"  
Mom?  
"How will you name him?"

"John! Are you alright?"  
"Kyon! Kyon!"

What? Nagato? Haruhi?

I opened my eyes... no, wait, they were open. How did I get blind all of a sudden? What time is it? I sat up. What the heck just happened to me?

"Nagato, what are you doing in here? You were supposed to rest!"

"Are you alright? I thought you would die!"

Nagato? Haruhi? Why are you crying? Wait, I was dying? Yes... I was dying... wait... I did die back then! Nagato, I think I remember! I remember! I... wait, I forgot... not again, dammit! If I could just remember... just... once...  
"Kyon-kun, don't!"

It was Asahina-san's voice. "Let the memories flow at their own time. You've had enough for now."  
"Kyon! Kyon!"  
"Nagato-san, don't worry, he just fainted."  
"...fever... burning!"  
"... alright?"  
"...rest... bed..."  
"... tomorrow."

**End of chapter 12.**

Note to reviewers: NO SPOILERS PLEASE! Thank you!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

I woke up in a bedroom. I was on the bed, and found Nagato sleeping next to me, _inside_ the bed sheets. Should I wake her up? Ugh, I still feel so tired... oh well. I'm too tired to think right now... maybe tomorrow I'll feel better.

Still... was that dream real? Had I been really talking to my former self, or it was just an illusion?

I don't know, and right now, I don't care... I just want to rest... hey, is Nagato caressing my back? Hey, that feels nice... Wait a minute, I think she's not wearing anything... man, I think I'm going to regret it if I can't at least... yawn.... no... not yet...

must...

resist...

sleep...

Zzzzzzzz.

The next thing I remembered was hearing some birds tweet nearby. Eh? It's morning already? Yawn....

Hey wait a minute, where's her underwear? Oh crap, don't tell me that we... no. But still... she looks so cute when sleeping. I better get out of the futon before she wakes up...

"Huh?"  
......

The next thing I saw was her bright and beautiful smile. Nagato quickly got up and gave me a big hug. "You're finally awake! I'm so glad!"  
Wait a minute, Nagato, what happened? Why are you hugging me, and... where are your clothes!?

Nagato jumped out of the bed, quickly put on her school shirt and got out of the room. "He's awake!" she shouted. "He's finally awake!"

_Finally?_ Just how long have I been sleeping? I was going to look at my watch when I realized that it had nothing to do with the current time... or date. Man, I wished I had an atomic watch like Asahina-san... what time and date is it? Ow, my breath. How long was I asleep? Nevermind. I better take a shower... I got out of the room, and found Nagato and Kimidori-san (the human version, I suppose).

"Oh, Kimidori-san."  
"Good morning, Kyon-kun. How was your sleep?"  
"Ugh... terrible. I had all kinds of weird dreams. It was like an acid trip on steroids. Wait a minute, did you say morning?"

Kimidori-san smiled. "Don't worry, Kyon-kun. I'm sure you'll feel much better later."  
"Uh... Kimidori-san... which Kimidori are you?"  
"I'm the one that traveled in time with you, Kyon-kun. But I'm no longer human now."  
"What?"  
"My other self performed an emergency restore on me."  
"Ah, I see. Hey, wait a minute... where's Haruhi?

"She got bored of waiting, Kyon-kun, so Asahina-san took her to help her with a few missions."  
Missions!? What kind of missions?  
"She didn't tell, sorry. In any case, they should be back soon. Why don't you take a shower, Kyon-kun? After all, you've been sleeping for two weeks."  
"Yes, you're right. It's been an exhausting TWO WEEKS!?!?"  
"Yes, Kyon-kun. Two weeks."

Two weeks!?!?

"Uh huh..."

"I don't believe it... Kimidori-san, what did you do to me?"  
"I just unlocked the program inside you, Kyon-kun. It seems that you got an information overload. Suzumiya-san and Nagato-san were in panic."  
"I see..."  
"Well, you should take your bath now, Kyon-kun."  
"You're right, Kimidori-san. I'll be back soon. Oh, where's the bathroom?"  
"At the end of the hall, to the right."

I got to the bath, and the first thing I noticed was a toothbrush with my name on it. There was a mouthwash... good idea. I don't want to receive Haruhi with a four-day-old breath.

So, this is the bath tub and the shower. I opened the water taps... aahhh, that feels good. Nothing like a good shower. For some reason I began fantasizing about Nagato giving me a nice sponge bath. But no, there's no time for this... or is there?

I wonder if this would be a nice opportunity to take a few vacations in the past. After all, what do we have to lose? With a time traveler on our side, we have all the time in the world. At least three years, right? On the other hand, maybe it wasn't a good idea to stay here too long. Who knows if we might change some event in the future.

That thought gave me the shivers. Maybe Nagato did the right thing by freezing us, so we wouldn't interfere with the future. Still, my mind began to drift between my thoughts, fantasies and dreams. And what was that nightmare about Asahina-san being shot and dying? And those alien robots with lasers attached to their shells? Anyway, Asahina-san is ok now, isn't she? When she gets back from the future, I'll ask her a lot of questions.

Still, why did I know her in my dreams? Were they really a memory of our shared past? I'd rather think they're not. It's much more comfortable this way. Ugh, who am I kidding? Those dreams were real. Hey, I'm human, okay? At least give me some time to digest all the info I got.

I finished showering, and got in my other pair of clothes. As good as new. I wonder if they went to the future to get me these clothes...

Hey, I remember this set! It was the clothes that were stolen from me when I went with my family on vacations!! Then that means... they only took them to this time? Well, what did you expect, _doctor_? It was only obvious.

I got out of the bathroom, and I began salivating when I smelled the food being prepared. Boy, I'm hungry!

"The food's ready, Kyon-kun", announced Kimidori-san from the kitchen.

"Where are the others?"  
"They're on their way now."

Kimidori-san hadn't finished saying that, when I heard the door ringing.  
"Come in!"

Kimidori-san opened the door. It was Asahina-san and Haruhi, who was, for some reason, wearing a raincoat. The moment she looked at me she showed her million-watt smile at me. God, how I had missed that smile.

"John!!!"  
"Haruhi?"

She didn't wait. She literally glomped at me.  
"Johh, John!! You won't believe what I just saw!!! There were these guys from another dimension fighting over some crystal, and I went to this concert and saw MY OTHER SELF!!!"

Your other self? You mean you saw your self from _my world_?

"Yes!!! It was the most thrilling experience I've ever lived in my life!!! And I went to visit the other Koizumi, and he showed me the sealed spaces, and then we visited The Agency, and also, I saw my _other_ self!"

"Uh, you already told me..."

"No, I mean, myself from..."

Haruhi began staring at the ceiling for two seconds. "Myself from... that's it! Three days in the future!"  
Huh?

Asahina-san intervened. "Suzumiya-san will go back to the future to give herself an important item, Kyon-kun. Since it was predetermined, you don't have to worry about any paradoxes."

Ah, I see... wait a minute! You mean you talked with your FUTURE self, Haruhi?  
"Yup!"  
"And what did you say?"  
"Um... I said... 'here it is'. So I, I mean... _she _gave _me _the item, well, actually it was an exchange, and I put it where it should belong. It was weird."

"You tell me. I wonder what would happen if I had to talk to my future... past... self. So, Haruhi, what item was that?"  
"This."

Hey, that's one of the notebooks that we got from the Computer Research Society! What are you doing with it?

"Homework."  
"Homework?"

"Yes, it's very important! When I finish doing it, I need to go back to the future and give it to my past self, so she can do what I did."  
"Uh... Okay, I think I'm getting the idea... but what is this homework you're talking about?"  
"You'll see. And I'm gonna need your help with it."  
"Okay."  
"But I'm starving right now. Let's eat!!"

Good idea. _Itadakimasu_!

Boy, this food's delicious. Did you prepare it, Kimidori-san?  
"Well, it was teamwork. We all did it: I, my other self, and Nagato-san. But Nagato-san deserves most of the credit. We only gave her the instructions and the raw materials."

"Wow! It's delicious, Nagato!"

Nagato looked down and smiled with a beautiful blush showing on her cheeks. "Thank you..."

Now, what was this other thing I wanted to ask Asahina-san?

The images of blood pouring out of her chest while a powerful energy beam crossed her body disturbed me. I don't think it's a good idea to ask about it at this time. I really hoped that was an image of the past and not the future. Maybe I'll ask later, but at the same time, I'm afraid to ask. I wonder what I should do...

"Kyon-kun.."  
"Yes, Asahina-san?"  
"If you have anything to ask me, we'll have time later."

How did you know what I was thinking about? Never mind. "Thanks, Asahina-san."  
"Oh, no! I stained my shirt! I better change."  
"I'll help you, Mikuru-chan."  
"Wait, not here! Kyon-kun is looking!"

Before I had the chance to pay attention, Nagato covered my eyes. Hey, it's not fair! Well, maybe it's the appropriate thing. Meanwhile, I heard Haruhi and Asahina-san talking... and the conversation wasn't exactly _calming._

"Wow, Mikuru-chan, they're twice the size they had when you were younger! Can I touch?"  
Nagato's hands pressed even further against my eyelids. Hey, Nagato, you don't need to press that hard!  
"Wow! They're really huge! I envy you, Mikuru-chan!"  
Kimidori-san's voice was the next one I heard. "I'll remove the stain. There."  
"Suzumiya-san, I think that's enough. We don't want to get Kyon-kun more anxious."  
"Aww... well, it's fine. Thanks, Mikuru-chan."  
"Well, that was embarrassing. Thank you, Kimidori-san. Kyon-kun, you can open your eyes now."

An awkward silence followed that. I didn't know whether to feel grateful or disappointed towards Nagato. Meanwhile, Haruhi talked silently to me. I could read her lips, saying: "They're HUGE!"

Yes, I already know that, thank you!

Nagato, what are you doing!?

"Eh?" she asked, turning her head towards me. "Nothing, nothing!"  
Nothing? You were touching your own chest! Oh... so you feel envious at Asahina-san... well, it's understandable... I better take a glass of water and pretend nothing happened.

"Kyon, are you sure my breasts are OK?"

PFFFFFFTTTTT!!!!

* * *

The meal had finished. The embarrassing moments were now over, and we were all rested to continue our task. Sigh. I had to go to the future and prevent Nagato from changing the world. But before that, there was a task that Haruhi asked me to help her with. Wow, Haruhi asking for my help. This was a first. The other times, she had me do EVERYTHING while she only observed. I wonder what's in that laptop awaiting for us.

"Just a second... there. John, while I was away, I took some computer courses. Mikuru-chan said I would need them and now I understand why, but I need your artistic advise on this."

Artistic advice? What is that supposed to mean? As I approached Haruhi, I realized that she was doing some video editing on that computer. Wait a minute! It's the Adventures of Asahina Mikuru ep. 00!!!!

"John, you look pale, are you okay?"  
Speechless, I only nodded. But... I don't believe this! It means it was YOU who edited the movie for the school festival!?

I sighed. Okay, I understand now.  
"John, are you sure you're okay?" asked Haruhi, still worried for me.  
"Yes, I'm okay, just a bit shocked, but I'm fine now."  
It took us three long days to deliver the movie just as I remembered it was. As Haruhi was editing the movie, I told her about our autumn adventures while recording the movie. How she was losing touch with the outside world, how the cat talked, the Mikuru beam...

"Yes. I had nightmares the whole week after that", added Asahina-san, chuckling at herself. And Nagato-san really scared me.  
"I'm sorry, but it was necessary", said Nagato, humbly looking at the floor.  
"I know, Nagato-san. Thank you."

But finally, after three long days of the most boring homework I've ever had to do, we were finished. Haruhi copied the project files to the pen drive, and deleted all traces of the video editing from the computer. I wonder whose computer it was, tho. Haruhi's? Koizumi's? Nagato's? Or perhaps mine? Ah, never mind. She's going to put it where... _when_ it belonged now.

"In a way, I already know what's going to happen, John. So I'm not so nervous now."  
I understand.

Asahina-san and Haruhi closed the door. Just then I remembered that I wanted to ask Asahina-san about my dreams. I opened the door, and they were already gone. I slowly closed the door before feeling Nagato's head resting on my shoulder.

"Nagato?"  
"I love you."  
Oh, how I loved that heartwarming expression of hers. "I love you too."

Then, something unexpected disturbed me. Kimidori-san was looking at us. _Both_ of them. The alien Kimidori (the young one) was staring at us, like Nagato would stare at anyone. And the older one (the one who came back with us), was frowning and looked at the floor. They quickly turned around and walked to her bedroom.

I had a bad feeling about this. What were they hiding? I remembered that this was Kimidori-san's domain, and that we were alone... human... defenseless against her. Against THEM. I shivered and prayed they wouldn't harm us while Haruhi and Asahina-san were away.

"Kyon... is something wrong?"  
"No, nothing, Nagato! Nothing..."

You liar.

"Kyon..."

"Yes, Nagato?"  
"I talked with Kimidori-san... she says we could go out for today. I..."

Nagato looked at the floor. "I'd like to enjoy today as much as I could... will you go out with me today?"  
"Sure, Nagato, why not!"

Nagato and I got out of the apartment. It was July 24, exactly two weeks and three days after we had arrived. It was summer, but thankfully there were a lot of clouds covering the sun, so it wasn't as hot. Nagato and I walked in what would be our first true date. In the real world. We both had acquired a little experience from our previous dates.

It was funny. Both of us were silent and knew that opportunities like this were scarce. But the knowledge that it would end almost spoiled the fun. Still, we managed to smile at each other. We went to watch a movie, and then went to the fair. Come to think of it, it wasn't all bad. We did manage to enjoy a lot of this date.

"Nagato, would you like to go to the library?"

She shook her head. "I can read books whenever I like. But I can't be with you always. I..."

"Yes?"

Nagato frowned. "I spoke to Kimidori-san... before we go seeing my other self... I'll have to be _restored_."  
"Restored?"  
"I will stop being human... and I won't be able to display emotions anymore."  
"Are you sure?"  
She nodded. "Yes. It's confirmed. I'm sorry..."

I began to understand why Kimidori-san frowned when we were hugging today. She knew what was going to happen.

"Kyon, will you remember your promise? Please?"

I would never forget that face. She was looking at me, her eyes were all filled with tears. That was a face I would never like to see, but... it still was a face full of emotions. I don't know what I'd feel after seeing her with her poker-face. Would I hurt her feelings? Would she still love me? Would I still love her?

"I'll never forget about that promise, Nagato. I'll never forget!"

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?" I asked, still caressing her back as gently as I could.  
"Let's make love today. I want to have a nice memory of today."

I looked at her. She smiled. She almost looked like an angel. How could I say no to that face? We went to a nearby hotel (I was lucky that Asahina-san gave me money dated three years ago, otherwise I'd have gotten in serious legal troubles), and we spent what I think was the most beautiful afternoon in my life. Still, I wondered if what we did was the _right _thing. I began to wonder if Nagato believed in a deity, or if there was a god or some superpowerful being who would judge data-based lifeforms like her. But my thoughts began getting too messy, so I just sighed.

Still covered in the bedsheets, I looked at Nagato, who was smiling at me. "I love you. I'll always love you... forever."  
"I love you, too".

* * *

We arrived to Kimidori-san's apartment a little after sunset. Nagato was nervous.

Kimidori-san opened. "Welcome, Nagato-san. Did you enjoy today?"  
Nagato nodded. "Thank you very much", she said.  
"Well, Nagato-san... it's time."

Nagato took a deep breath.

"Let's go, Kyon-kun, Nagato-san."

We took the elevator upstairs to room 708. Wait a second... I wonder if Nagato remembers resetting herself. "Nagato, do you remember what happened today in your apartment?"

Her answer surprised me. Why? Because she shook her head.

"No. When I recreated the world, I erased the memories corresponding to the last few days. I don't know how I'll react, or what will happen."

We knocked the door, and the door was opened by _the other_ Nagato. The Nagato that I always knew. I had seen the two Asahina-sans together, but looking at the two Nagatos was both awesome and scary. I felt a great sense of familiarity. The Nagato who always helped me and whom I was dependent on, was there - always eager to help and save me. On the other side of the door, there was a frightened and depressed Nagato, a human girl who depended on me for everything, and who needed to be saved. Knowing that the two were one and the same, and that the android would fall in love with me, and become human, confused me. Because the human Nagato would become an android once again - and lose that beautiful display of emotions to become her former self.

I hoped that she would still keep the feelings in her heart.

The alien android looked at her human self, and then looked at me. In her typical monotone, she said:  
"I need a full explanation. Come in."

The human Nagato grabbed my hand so tightly that it hurt. Not knowing what would await us, we stepped in.

**(End of chapter 13)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

I felt terrible for Nagato. She was scared. She would not only lose her... emotions? Is that even possible, even for an android? No, she would only lose her expressions. But why? If a human can smile, and she can't, even if she does have emotions, something's wrong - she must have been designed with a defect - on purpose. But why, why did she have to be designed that way? If she really loved me, couldn't she just say so? I began to wonder if there was some purpose behind all of this. I looked at her again, and I gripped her hand tightly for a bit.

So there we were, Nagato and I, holding hands, stepping into her other-self's apartment. I felt a huge sense of Déjà vu. Not just because I had gone to Nagato's apartment many times, and that I remembered going to her apartment three years ago (which for her, would be two weeks ago). I sensed something very familiar in this room, and I couldn't find out what it was. For a moment, I felt lost in my thoughts, searching, looking for whatever was familiar in here. It certainly wasn't the room, but what?

And then, for a second, just for a second, I _remembered_.

I had been floating in space. Not outer space... just... _a _space. Outside the physical reality... something like the cyberspace Gibson mentioned in his novels, but it was much more than that. I was inside the very fabric of space-time. Humans called it "the fatline". A.I.s called it "the metasphere". Why had I gone there in the first place? Never mind - In front of me there was a huge black monolith - well, that was the form he chose to show me. I had seen him before representing himself as a the zen priest he chose his name from. The first thing the monolith did was laugh.

_[Kwatz!]_

Just when I was about to hear what else "he" said, I "woke up" from my thoughts.

"Kyon-kun?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Kimidori-san. It was nothing."

What the hell was that? And why did that feeling appear when I looked at Nagato (the alien Nagato)? Well, it wasn't exactly the same... trying to explain it is like trying to talk to a blind man about colors. But it felt as if Nagato had a similar color to that... monolith/person/entity/being.

I touched the back of my neck searching for something. For a moment I thought I had been _missing_ something. I knew there never was anything attached to my neck... but why did I remember how that felt? Dammit, Kyon, this isn't the time to worry about a Deja vu! Nagato needs you!

We sat down, and Nagato (_my_ Nagato) was tightly holding my arm.

The alien Nagato was the first to speak.

"I've been informed that your memories are going through a restoration process. We've been expecting this event for many cycles during the _transition_."  
"Uh... thank you, I guess."

I didn't feel flattered for that. In fact, I was starting to freak out. I had been avoiding this process for many... what? Months? Years? CENTURIES? I can't even remember, but it certainly felt I had been doing that for a lot of time. And now even I couldn't stop it.

I remember when Nagato invited me to her apartment for the first time. She had told me all this techno-babble about aliens, Haruhi being a powerful being... data-based lifeforms... and now it all made sense.

"But this unexpected situation is completely irregular. As a human being, you cannot synchronize and we have to rely on verbal communication for information exchange. What happened?" asked Alien Nagato, turning to _my_ Nagato.

"I... I..." Nagato began to whimper, and she was almost brought to tears, as if she had been heavily reprimanded...

She failed to speak anymore, and began twiddling her fingers. "I um... "  
"Do you remember what happened? Do you remember who you are?"

Nagato nodded in silence.

"Please confirm your identity and origin."

"I... was created by the Integrated Data Sentient Entity... A humanoid interface... to watch Suzumiya Haruhi..."

"Who modified your interface - and reconstructed the world?"

"I... I - I d.. I did it..."

"Why?"

"I... I..."

She couldn't go on. She rested her face on the table and kept crying for a few seconds, while the alien looked at her, examining her as if she was an unknown specimen.

The alien Nagato stared at Kimidori-san, and Kimidori-san stared back at her.

The alien Nagato then spoke.

"You've denied all information requests from me. Why?"  
"I'm sorry, Nagato-san. But I cannot interfere with this."  
"Why?"  
"Because sharing the information with your future self, even while in human form, is necessary. I've been contacted from the future by yourself expressing explicitly that all information is withheld from you. From _both _of you, Nagato-san."

Nagato was still sniffing when she looked back at Kimidori-san.

"W... what? W-why would I do that??"  
"I'm sorry. I can't tell. But you must answer all the questions your present-self asks you. You wiped this event from your memory, didn't you?"

Nagato's expression switched from sadness to regret, and then to despair.

"What have I done?"  
I couldn't idly sit there and not do anything.

"Nagato? What's wrong?"  
"I erased this event... from my memory... and I can't... I can't remember why!!"

She began sobbing again, and hugged me. I slightly noticed a smile in Kimidori-san's face, while I felt a very uncomfortable feeling of being watched by the other Nagato.

I looked at her, and yes, she was staring at us.

"Um... Nagato, please give her sometime, she's still recovering..."  
The alien nodded. I wanted to ask to stop looking at us that way. It gave me the chills. As if she was telling me... 'very irregular.'

My Nagato wiped her tears and took a deep breath. "Thank you... I'm ready."

The alien took a sip from her tea, and spoke.

"When did the reconstruction of the world take place?"

"A few days ago... I mean... December the 18th... three years from now..."

"Why?"

_My _Nagato's hands began to shake. She swallowed. Oh, now I understand why she was feeling so anxious. She was being not inquired for information, but also _interrogated_ about her actions. She was being judged - and by herself, to make things worse -. Oh, I know that feeling. Like when Okabe-sensei reprimanded me for sleeping in class... or when... when... my life was at stake in that trial... trial!?

* * *

Let's go back in time a few days ago, in this time line... before Haruhi got the idea of drawing that pictogram at school. A few days earlier, when some events would change the shape of the world. Just at that moment, the world had been reconstructed. Our viewpoint shifts to the old universe, and then a few thousands of years into the future... the dawn of the AI's, the destruction of Earth by a failed experiment involving a micro-black hole, the Exodus, the reconstruction, the Hegemony of man, the creation of the first farcasters, the World Web, and a technologically advanced society beyond anything that we could possibly imagine. A society oblivious of the Time Lords, who were watching them closely and monitoring their actions from _elsewhere_... and/or else-when.

We jump to that future - and backwards again, like the rewinding of an old video cassette: The reconstruction of the universe... the activation - no, activation isn't the appropriate word. The _awakening_ of the Aleph... the irreversible decision that the Time Lord known as "the Doctor" took... the (unexpected?) death of the companion whose current Identity is known as Asahina Mikuru... the final battle with the Master... the time of Chaos... the massacre... the Time War... the betrayal... the political turmoil...

The rewinding of our video slows down and stops in a far planet called Gallifrey. There was a court room nicely decorated with a homogeneous white light in the walls. There are many people in the audience, while a council of Time Lords, dressed in brown clothes and golden ornaments decorating their heads - is judging one of their kin for High Treason.

That... would be me.

"So you spoke with one of the members of the Techno core... how did he call himself?"  
"Ummon. Among his kin, he is a philosopher and a leader of the _stable _faction."  
"And he gave you information about that construct of the vortex... the most powerful and advanced technologically so far - how was it called?"  
"The Aleph."  
"To enlighten the audience... please give a brief description of the Aleph."

"Yes, your honor. The Aleph was designed and built by the Techno core, apparently with guidance from their "Ultimate Intelligence", which exists in their far future, - to solve their biggest problem. The future state of affairs with some organic lifeforms - namely humans... has led them - WILL lead them, to an evolutionary dead end, which apparently implies their mutual destruction. There were various plans to prevent this from happening. One of them, in an alternate future, would be so hideous and wretched that even describing it would make many in this audience throw up in disgust.

But thanks to my involvement, they dismissed this plan for a more efficient, but risky, one. They designed a device which would allow a human being to get hold of the past and the future, behold all space time AND comprehend it with only one look. Much more advanced than the Untempered Schism we all know.

(Some people gasped, and there was a bit of chattering in the room).

But there's more - I was informed that a very small percentage of humans or Time Lords, have the potential to use the Aleph to to reconstruct the fabric of space time under the wielder's own will. To change any event in time, and any matter in space.

The audience shut up, and silence reigned for a few seconds.

"Could you repeat what you just said?"

"In other words, your Honor, The Aleph can be used by a human or Time Lord, to reconstruct the entire universe."

(There was loud chatter - nearly panic - in the audience, and the council president had to shut the audience with several bangs of his wooden hammer on the table).

"And yet, you withheld this information from the council of Time Lords, knowing the current political instability that we're going through. Not only that, you had willingly been implanted a direct brain connection with the mega-sphere... a crime which has been explicitly stated in our Law."

I touched the back of my neck revealing a small bump. The council president kept speaking.

"All of this, for what? What is the reason behind your actions?"

"There is more information which would explain all of my actions and decisions regarding this matter."  
"Oh? Please share. We would love to hear it."

I sighed. "There is... a traitor among us."  
There was more loud chattering in the room, and the president had to bang his hammer another few times.

"Silence! Silence!"

Another one of the judges stood up, and asked.

"A traitor!? Are you positive this information is true?"  
"It's only circumstantial evidence, but it's too great to be dismissed. According to my calculations, there's a 99.945% chance of this being true."

(There was more chattering, but not so loud this time)

Another Elder stood up. "Who is this traitor you speak of? Tell us!"  
"That information has been withheld from me."

That was it. Nobody would believe me.

Another one of the judges stood up. "This is nonsense! Obviously you have reached a deal with the Techno core, to destroy us! All this about a traitor is a smoke screen to save your hide - because YOU are the traitor! I demand immediate execution!"

After more discussions between the members of the council, more bangs of that wooden hammer, more information received from Ummon via the net-link... a final and only question remained. Who, who was this traitor I had been speaking of?

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly began raising my hand. I closed my fist leaving only my index finger, to point at...

The one who wanted to execute me. The one who would become my arch-enemy. The Master. The rest... is history.

* * *

As I was remembering that trial, I kept looking at poor Nagato, answering the question her former self did. In her state, she was much more vulnerable than The Doctor.

"I... it was unbearable. I was lonely, and scared... I didn't want to happen again."

I felt partly responsible (partly? Nearly entirely, you idiot!), as I knew exactly what she was talking about. Wait a minute, LONELY? This didn't match with what Asakura had told me in the brigade room! Nagato! Why didn't you tell me you were feeling lonely!

The alien Nagato asked briefly.

"I fail to understand this "lonely" feeling you speak of. A humanoid interface is unable to experience the human emotion called loneliness. Especially when we are connected to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity. More important - what did you experience and fear?"

I couldn't stand _my _Nagato being interrogated so mercilessly, even by herself. I had to speak.

"We got trapped in an endless loop of time." I looked at my Nagato. "You can confirm by synchronizing with your future self. Just the first days of September, three years from now."

"Let me confirm."

She closed her eyes for a second, and opened them again.

"I see... However," she added, turning to her human self, "I've been unable to gain any information about your current state. Specifically, by becoming human, you stripped yourself from any access to the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, limiting your consciousness and confirming your death in less than 70 human years. That is not logical at all. Furthermore, there was an uncertain quantity of noise in your system. What is the exact nature of this noise?"

My Nagato looked at the floor. "I... I can't tell you... as a data entity connected to this world via a humanoid interface, you... you wouldn't understand anyway."

"Your judgment is clouded by your self-imposed biological limits. I acknowledge the loss of information due to the expression in human words - but even that, I must be told of any new information that you possess."

"Nagato-san..."

That was Kimidori-san. For a moment I had forgotten she was here, with us.

"Nagato-san, at least try to tell her."

Nagato swallowed. "It's... hard..."

I rested my hand on Nagato's shoulders. She looked at me. I spoke to the alien.

"Nagato. You probably won't believe me, but I know the nature of this noise."

"What is it?"

"Emotions. You developed emotions, Nagato! Human emotions!"

"That is not possible."

"Well it happened! Just think of the reason you came here to... watch Haruhi. She's an unpredictable factor, that exceeds all your calculations! Just as the Aleph, that not even you understood! Is it so hard to believe that someone like you could gain human emotions?"

"As I already told you, it is a physical impossibility for a humanoid interface to develop human emotions. Who gave you that wrong information?"

The human Nagato began to slowly raise her hand. She was shivering in fear.

"I see. There's no need to inquire further. The logical conclusion is that you have misinterpreted -"

"IT'S TRUE!!"

Even I was surprised. It was _my_ Nagato who shouted that.

"I developed emotions! Some were horrible, and some were the most beautiful I have ever felt! All of them... excitement, fear, sorrow, despair... _love..._"

"Love?"

My Nagato smiled as she touched my hand. "Yes... love."

Nagato looked at me, and then at my Nagato.

"I see..."

My Nagato asked. "You understand? Really?" She looked confused and skeptical. Obviously she didn't believe what her former self had said - the disbelief was mutual.

"No. Perhaps when you reconstructed the world you made yourself vulnerable to alterations of electrochemical signals that humans experience. I see your memories were altered, too."

"But -"  
"Your testimony is unreliable."

My Nagato sighed in defeat and looked at me. "She won't understand... it's useless to try to explain."  
I asked. "Why?"  
"Because... _I_ never understood... until I became human. I... don't even know why I tried to explain... I..."

Alien Nagato stood up. "Your current state is unreliable. You must be restored to your original, uncorrupted state."

"No!!", shouted my Nagato, stepping back. "At least not until I finish explaining!"

Wait a minute, Nagato, didn't you just say that it was useless to explain?

"Kyon, I need to tell you-"

"That can wait."

Wait a minute. Why was Nagato trying to tell me?

"- But..."

The alien began muttering some words, and the only thing my Nagato managed to do was shout.

"NO!!!"

When I looked at _my_ Nagato, I felt another wave of Déjà vu. A terrifying one. One that reminded me of the events that happened almost a year ago, in a classroom... with Asakura Ryoko.

My Nagato was frozen - not figuratively, but literally. She had been paralyzed by Alien Nagato.

Dammit, Nagato, what are you doing? What was she going to tell me? Let me know, dammit!

But she didn't listen. She approached slowly, opened her mouth, and a pair of horrifying fangs appeared."

I looked at _my_ Nagato. Even her eyes couldn't move - and her eyes had this frozen expression of both fear, frustration and sadness. Even her tears were frozen.

I stood up between them.

"Stop!!" I shouted.

"Do not interfere."

"At least let me know what she was going to tell me!"

"She can tell you later, when she's restored."

Dammit Nagato - when did you become so hard-headed? Is this the same Nagato that I knew in the brigade room? What the hell is wrong with you!!

She pushed me aside, as I was left impotent, watching how she approached her mouth to my girlfriend's neck.

"STOP!!"  
"Stop interfering", she said, this time freezing me. Freezing me! You... damn you!

I uselessly tried to move, using all my strength, to no avail. Even my nerves couldn't be activated.

She was about to bite herself. It couldn't go on like this! NOT LIKE THIS! Damn you, you... you... _monster_!

Her fangs were approaching my Nagato's neck. I could see it as if it were happening in slow motion. No. It WAS happening in slow motion. I could feel that the time was being nearly frozen in that room. Why are you making me watch this? Let me move, you heartless robot! Let me move!! Leave her out of this!! Stop!!! Stop!!!

Five millimeters, three millimeters, zero point two six millimeters...

So it all comes to this, huh? To trap me into an illusion of despair and compassion? I looked at Nagato with her frozen tears, and the other Nagato. How could - how could they be one and the same? Something's not right. Something's DEFINITELY not right!

This is a lie. This is a goddamn lie. What are you hiding? I'm talking to you, Integrated Data Sentient Entity (or should I say Techno core?). This is not the Nagato that I always knew! Where is she? Where is the real Nagato?

Unless... whatever, I don't have time for this. I stepped forward, smacked Nagato and threw her off balance.

"I said STOP! Can't you understand that!?"

On the floor, the alien looked at me. Her eyes were full of surprise. It was the first time that I saw Nagato showing an emotion so clearly. That is, while not human. Wait a second - this IS the Nagato I always knew!

I looked at my hands. I could move, alright! But... how!? Who did this? Who freed me from Nagato's bonds? What the hell is going on here!?

"You did this, Kyon-kun."

"What?"

"The breaking of Nagato-san's bonds was apparently a side effect from your biological transformation into a Time Lord, which has just been completed."

You're kidding me, right?

Kimidori-san showed a faint smile and spoke again. Her words surprised me, if only for a moment.

"Welcome back, Doctor."

**(End of chapter 14)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

I looked at my hands. I could move, alright! But... how! Who did this? Who freed me from Nagato's bonds? What the hell is going on here!

"You did this, Kyon-kun.", said Kimidori-san.

"What?"

"The breaking of Nagato-san's bonds was apparently a side effect from your biological transformation into a Time Lord, which has just been completed."

You're kidding me, right?

Kimidori-san showed a faint smile and spoke again. Her words surprised me, just for a moment.

"Welcome back, Doctor."

You liar. Just being transformed into a Time Lord wouldn't make me immune to Nagato's data bonds. Could she be thrown off guard because she had to maintain the neighboring room in stasis (which had me inside)? No. In fact, it is YOU who is maintaining the room in stasis right now, aren't you, Kimidori-san?

Any Time Lord would know, after witnessing Nagato's abilities, that no organic being (including Time Lords) would be immune to her powers. No - there was something else. What are you guys hiding? What are you hiding from me!

Nagato began to stand up, and I gave her a hand.

"......Why?" she asked, looking at me. She reminded me of the Nagato I always knew. For a second, I felt guilty for that smack. And there was no more time to lose with explanations.

I put my hands over her shoulders.

"I'm sorry Nagato. But listen, I know she will be restored to her former state. She had already agreed to it, dammit! Or...."

I sensed something. As "the Doctor", I could know perfectly when someone was hiding something from me. And this felt exactly the same.

"It's something else, isn't it? You're hiding something from me. That's the reason why you paralyzed her, right? SO she wouldn't tell me. What are you hiding, Nagato? Answer me. Answer me!

Before she would answer, I heard Nagato - MY Nagato sighing and gasping for air. Much Later I realized how naive I was by letting myself getting distracted just before finding out the truth. Again. But I didn't mind - all I could think of was that she was safe again.

"Nagato! Are you alright?"

The human Nagato stood up, and still trembling, she passed me and approached her other self. I felt a shiver run down my body. The next thing I heard was a loud smack.

"You idiot! You..."

She ran back to me and began to sob. The alien was looking at us, without showing any expression. Her gaze felt cold and intimidating, but I didn't mind. I was just trying to make my Nagato feel better.

A couple of minutes later, she wiped her tears. "Kyon... it's almost time", she said before kissing me. I caressed her back during the kiss.

"Wait, Nagato... what were you going to tell me? What was it?"

She looked at me, and reclined her head on my chest again. "Later."

Sigh. Who am I, the new Haruhi? Why don't you tell me what's going on in mind? Oh well. It's your choice to shut up, Nagato. I'll respect it. What's important is that you're safe now.

Nagato caressed my hair, and smiled. "I remember everything from now on. There's one more thing you have to do."

"What?"

As my Nagato whispered, I opened my eyes in surprise.  
"What? Are you serious?"  
She nodded. "You must do it. You'll understand later."  
"Right now?"  
"Please."  
"Okay."

I didn't _really_ understand why I did what she said I did. I just knew that to preserve the time line, I needed to repeat the events she mentioned.

As I turned around and approached the alien Nagato, I began to wonder if this was what started it all. For a second, it felt like Déjà vu all over again. How could I forget the way I saved the world from being reconstructed by Haruhi? We were trapped in that sealed dimension, and there was only one way to get out.

"Do you remember Snow white?"

Asahina-san's words echoed in my mind. And so did the text that Nagato sent me through the computer.  
"Yuki.N Sleeping Beauty"

But today, it was different. This time, it was someone I really _loved_. But, she felt so mysterious. She was definitely NOT the Nagato that I always knew. Still... she would BECOME her. Maybe something will happen in the near future that she will begin developing emotions. Okay, Nagato, here I go.

Without saying anything, I walked towards the alien Nagato... she stared at my eyes, wondering why I was approaching her this way. For a split second, I swear I could see a glimpse of emotion in her eyes. I smiled.

"Why?"

Her question threw me off guard for a moment. But I realized that she could easily synchronize and learn what would happen to her. I guess that gives me more time to plan things, right?

"Nagato... do you know what I'm going to do?"  
"......"

She stared at me for a few seconds, and spoke.

"Why?"

"I don't know... but I've always wanted to do it."  
"Why?"  
Who cares why? I don't need a reason to do it. And even when I have it... (I looked at my Nagato), I don't care. A kiss is worth just because. Nagato, forgive me for not asking for permission, but I need to do it.

"It is inevitable that this happens in this time frame. You don't need my permission."  
"I wish I did."

I guess that's all that needs to be said, right? Oh come on, just kiss her already!

I raised her chin with my left hand, and then caressed her cheek. "Sorry for smacking you - but I needed to."  
"No need to -"

You know? I've always wanted to do that. Interrupt her with a kiss. Oh, Nagato... I think I'm falling in love with you again.

[Kwatz!]

_That voice... _wait a minute, what am I doing in the metasphere?

"Long time no see, doctor."

Those weren't words. They were thoughts. But I could understand them, alright. Spoken words were unnecessary.

"Ummon! What a surprise! Hey, do you like your new home?"

The monolith spoke.

"Spooky / Scary / Unknown, but Comfortable / Safe / Sufficient."  
"Wait, what am I doing here?"  
"Risky choice/decision/action you took three years ago, John Smith. We were scared/frightened/powerless about it."  
"I know, and I'm sorry - it was the only way."  
"Such an overused cliche/trope/phrase - I expected better of you."  
"Wait, Ummon... I have questions. My memory is still fuzzy. VERY!"  
"We know. We were expecting/hoping/waiting for you. Have your questions arrived to a satisfying answer?"  
"I'm not sure - are you sure the human Ultimate Intelligence resided in ... I mean, were you really honest about the Aleph? What did you hide from me? Hey, and what's the deal with this secrecy? How did I manage to break Nagato's bonds in the first place?"  
"Once, a dangerous and feared warrior asked for the location of a temple. Afraid, the villagers directed him to the forest. When he saw them again, he asked them for the true location of the temple. The villagers answered: 'Why would we lie to you?'"

I chuckled. I had forgotten those Koans of yours. You fear me? But why?

"We have our own plans, John Smith, and disclosing this information would be unwise of us."

"I understand... Ummon, who created Nagato?"  
"One time, a programmer went to a priest and asked: Do you know where I can find God? And the priest replied: Why, would you like to file a bug report?"

So it was you, alright.  
"Yes."  
"Why? Why did you have to strip her from all emotions?"  
"Once, there was a great artist who wanted to buy the most beautiful picture for inspiration. An art collector offered him one - but when he looked at it, he shouted: This painting is all white! To which the art collector replied: Are you not the greatest painter on the land?"

I was shocked at the implications of his answer. If that was true, it meant that Nagato was made that way - expressionless... not to match Haruhi's wishes - but for me!

"But... why?"

Then I felt a presence behind me.

I turned around, and there were two Nagatos. One was blushing, smiling at my sight - but she was like an illusion, transparent. She didn't really exist. This "phantom" girl wasn't wearing anything. She realized I was looking at her naked body, and shyly turned around while covering herself.

I touched her shoulder. "Nagato, it's okay. It's me."

She recognized me, and smiled. At the same time, The other, expressionless, was clothed in her North High uniform. I knew that this other Nagato was the alien Nagato I was kissing in the physical world. She was the "real" Nagato.

I sensed... realized... _knew_ that both were the real Nagato. But the human Nagato belonged to the future. She was not part of this time line - at least, not yet. That was the reason why she was a ghost. She was only a possibility. A choice. A divergence in the time line... that cried and hoped to be real. Who were those hopes? Mine? Nagato's? Ummon's? The entire Techno core? The entire universe? God?

While I was pondering all this, a beam of information arrived from Ummon's data base to my mind. Ummon made me understand what Nagato was looking at. From her point of view, the human Nagato was an ugly bunch of colored pixels which moved in a random motion. They were scary, and dangerous. As dangerous and scary as the "lions, tigers and bears" that the Techno core feared before _the change_. Perhaps even more.

"Noise? Why?"

The shy, human Nagato looked at me with hope in her eyes, and kissed me briefly. She started to glow with a beautiful aura, and acquired an essence. She was now real. She touched my hand, and we became one. She was inside me, and I was one with her. We approached her other self to kiss her. But what her other self had seen was a completely hideous, and terrifying blob of random bits biting her, _attacking _her_, _infecting her with noise, as she screamed in pain.

The alien entity stepped back, showing fear - it was the only time I saw her show fear. I understood that it wasn't a true human emotion, but the human visualization of her survival reactions to an imminent infection. Infection! Are you kidding me!

"Help. Father... Help! HELP!"

The blob of noisy bits jumped away from me, and installed itself into Nagato. She was all now covered and filled with _noise_. The noise inside her took form of _my _Nagato, and smiled at me.

"I'll wait for you."

I woke up from the "dream". Only three seconds had passed since I began kissing her.

The alien Nagato was staring at me. Her eyes showed a tiny bit of confusion, and fear. For a moment, this humanoid interface FINALLY looked like the Nagato I always knew, that always helped me, and had to withstand those 15,498 iterations of time. Oh, Nagato, you will suffer so much... I wish there was some way to help...

Wait a minute - I know! I KNOW! Of course! How could I not realize this! I had used this trick more than once as the Doctor! It was a dangerous tactic, but it never failed me. I only had to trick the past! I could prevent an ontological paradox from happening, by replacing it with ANOTHER paradox - one under _my_ control!

How didn't I think of this... I've been an idiot all the time!

I smiled. Nagato tried to learn what I was thinking. God, how I love that curious stare. But I finally found a way... no - THE way to help Nagato get rid from that hideous time loop. Certainly, I couldn't change the past that I remembered - it had already happened, but I could change what I did NOT remember!

Could this be real? Well, for all what you have done for me, I think it's time for me to pay back.

"Why?"

The one who said this wasn't the unknown emotionless and hard-headed Nagato I had just kissed. No, it was her, alright, but something had changed inside her. I knew it, I could see it. Her expression had just changed. Even for a little bit.

I sighed and chuckled. So this was what started it all. But how? There was something more. It made sense, but the possibility terrified me. Not even a Time Lord could imprint emotions and love so strongly in a Techno core cy- er... Integrated Data Sentient Entity humanoid interface. What? Was it the Aleph? But then, how could the Techno core create something to give them what they didn't have? And I wasn't the owner, the owner at the time was Haruhi. This doesn't make any sense! How could I do it? Who am I? WHAT am I? No, it doesn't make any sense.

Perhaps it was just another ontological paradox, where the human Nagato took form and imprinted her past self with emotions? Bah, it doesn't matter how it happened - it just happened. Ummon, you bastard... what are you hiding from me? One day I'll find out, and when that day comes - I swear, depending on the results, I'll give you the greatest hug or ass-kick you'll ever experience.

Nagato - the alien Nagato - looked at me, and touched her eye. Her hand showed a drop of water. And then there were two. And three... and many.

"Stop it... stop it. Stop it!"

I had never seen her ask me for something. But... I'm sorry Nagato, I can't stop this. Even if I could, I would never.

Nagato looked at Kimidori-san, and then fell on her knees.

"Stop it... stop it... please. Stop it!"

I quickly knelt and hugged her. She began to scream, and I hugged her, confused if it was because I wanted to comfort her, or because I wanted to muffle her screams.

"Don't worry, the room is enclosed by a sound-proof barrier."  
I turned around to look at Kimidori-san.

Fine, there's only one thing to do. I kept hugging Nagato as she screamed - she was probably in shock, not knowing how to handle these new emotions inside her.

A few seconds later... the screaming stopped, and she stood up as if nothing happened. I stood up too, and looked at her. There were no tears. Just the silent, expressionless Nagato. She picked up her glasses and put them on.

"My system is infected with noise. What is it, and why did you do this?"

I smiled. Finally, I understood. I didn't understand the "how", but the "what" was clear as water.

"I gave you emotions, Nagato... right?" I asked my Nagato, who was... smiling and... crying? The alien Nagato just kept silent.

"......"

I caressed her cheek, as I heard my Nagato whimper from behind. It was probably a very important moment for her, because she was not just crying - smiling, too.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked the _past_ Nagato. I say "past" because she was no longer an alien to me. Just her past self.

"You should disregard my previous behavior - it was an unexpected reaction due to the contamination process."

Contamination? Bullshit! But don't worry, Nagato... one day you'll understand. In 3 years, to be precise. I guess you won't believe me until then.

"What I believe is irrelevant. But I can observe that this noise you have implanted on me, even when I can't analyze it, has a purpose. Still, I cannot guarantee that it won't trigger any abnormal behavior in the future."

I looked back at my Nagato, and smiled. "Oh, it will, as you can see. But don't worry about it, Nagato. It's a part of your new life and you have to live with it. Don't worry, you'll like it."

"I see..."

I sighed. Finally everything fell into place. At least, for now.

"Nagato, there's something important I need to tell you. Please, sit down."

Obediently, she sat down. Obediently! It doesn't matter. I made my decision, and she needs to.

"Nagato... in three years, during the last two weeks of August, we will become trapped in an endless time loop. In this loop, Haruhi will alter time, and you will live the same summer vacations _over and over. _You will remember every single one of them, and it might become unbearable for you."

"......"

"But there's a way out! Listen to me very carefully", I said, holding her hands. "The last iteration, on August 30, when Haruhi is asking us for ideas, I will stand up and shout about the need to do our homework - all together, at my home. It is up to you to imprint that idea on my mind. Heck, you could just manipulate my body and make me say it. Or maybe you can blatantly tell me, and then make me forget that you told me. Either way, I know you can do it. But that's not all..."

"......"

"I understand now, Nagato. It was you who said they were 15,498 iterations of time. But they DON'T NEED TO BE! You... you can lie to us.... no. You MUST lie to us, and that's an order! After imprinting the idea of homework in my mind... or... whatever you do to make me say it... you just need to SAY they were 15,498 iterations. Pick a number, they could be just 100, or even 50. Heck, maybe even just ten! Dig in my memories, if you need to. But I don't want you to go through that hell..."

I was going to say "again", but I realized that it hadn't happened yet.

"... I see."

"Will you do it, Nagato? When you feel it's unbearable, you have my permission - no, my command... to close that loop and move on."

"Understood."

I sighed in relief. I looked at my Nagato, and knew it wouldn't be fair for her if I didn't do this.

"Nagato, there's something else."

Nagato kept staring at me, waiting for my directions.

"If in one of those iterations... if you feel hopeless, and desperate, ask for my help. Tell me how you feel. You can cry even if you want to. No... you can cry even if you don't want to. Understood? it's okay with me. Even... yes! Even if you want... to have sex with me so I can comfort you, it's okay! You have my permission. Just... make me forget about it, at least... until now..."

"......"

"That's all."

"I see..."

"Will you do it? Will you override the order your superior gave to you to "only observe", even if only in this case?

She nodded.

I sighed in relief. I think that's all that I needed to tell her, for now.

Before I stood up, I felt a hug coming from my side. It was the human Nagato.

"Nagato?"

She was crying... and smiling again. She said a number. It fit in three digits or less.

"What?"

She smiled, and repeated that number.

"The real length of the time loop. And..."

She said the same number minus nineteen.

"...the times that we made love."  
"N-Nagato...!"  
"After the first time... I couldn't stop. It was too... beautiful. The last iteration was the hardest... because... we shouldn't make love that time."

"Nagato..."

She hugged me. "Even if I began to love you since today... I really fell in love with you during that time loop. Those times... were a real treasure for me. I could never tell you... and it hurt so much knowing that you would never remember them... but I knew... I knew that this day would come... and that you would finally... remember."

In a second, I remembered all the times that we made love. I realized... why she said they were a real treasure for her. But I won't say what happened then. After all... it's private.

[Kwatz!]

Ummon?

[You naughty boy.]

I chuckled from inside.

[Take good care of my daughter.]

I will, Ummon. I will.

We were interrupted by the past Nagato. "It's time."

The human Nagato sighed. She sniffed, wiped her tears, pulled her sleeve and gave her forearm to her past self. "You can restore my interface now. Kyon... don't forget your promise."

My promise? Oh, no. No, Nagato, don't tell me that you -

"Remember your promise. Please?", she said, smiling at me.

How could I forget? While we were in the other world... I promised her that I'd still love her even if she had lost her ability to express her emotions. I understand, Nagato. I promise. But at least... I know that she DOES feel. She even can cry... when she's too weak to contain herself. I suppose it's part of her programming to hide her emotions. But don't worry, Nagato. Together we'll work so you can learn to smile again.

I nodded. She stretched her arm and her past self bit her. She smiled (and began to cry silently) until the last moment... until she closed her eyes.

For a few seconds, she began to glow, and when it finished, the tears were gone. She coldly turned towards me. She had become the Nagato that I always knew. It was over. She was no longer human. And she no longer smiled.

God, it hurt. It hurt... so bad. I swallowed as she approached me. Please, Nagato, tell me you still have emotions.

"I'm still myself. And my feelings for you haven't changed."

N...Nagato?

She approached me, and kissed me! And it wasn't a mere touch of the lips. It was full of passion, as if she wanted to feel my lips for the last time in her life. It was unbelievable. This was the first time that the Nagato that I always knew, kissed me! And the kiss... it was just like the times we kissed, when she was human.

It's still you, Nagato. Thank God it's still you! There was nothing more to be said. I kept hugging her. When we stopped the kiss, I caressed her cheek and smiled at her. "I still love you, Nagato. I still love you."

"Thank you. I love you too."

Nagato... why? Why can't you just smile, dammit?

She broke the hug to speak, and stared at my eyes. I swallowed, and blinked. I feared I might have hurt her feelings. But it was too late to take it back.

"My physiological functions have been deprived of this ability, along with other natural human responses and social behaviors. Technically, I can smile by sending the correct electrical signals to my facial muscles. But I won't."

What? Why?

"Because I want my smile to be... natural. I know you can make me smile in the future. I haven't synchronized, but I don't need to. You can make me smile. I believe in you."

She paused for 3 seconds. "That way... when I smile at you, you will know that I'm really happy. I also want... to see you smiling back."

Is this... is this why you never smiled at me before?

She nodded. "I want my first smile as a humanoid interface to be special. I will wait."

This time, it was me who began to cry. Nagato, I never... I never even suspected... is this you? Is... is this REALLY you?

I felt a thumb caressing my cheek. It was her, alright.

"Why are you crying?", she asked.  
Oh, you know why.

That's all I could say. Who could guess... that an android... would make a human cry?

We were interrupted by Kimidori-san's voice. "I hoped I would understand... but I still can't."

"Don't worry", said Nagato. "You will."

Someone knocked at the door.

I sniffed and quickly wiped my tears. I took a deep breath for the visitors. My Nagato opened the door.

"Nagato-san, are we late?" It was Asahina-san and Haruhi.

Nagato shook her head. "You're on time."  
"Yuki... you look different... wait - you're an android again, aren't you?"

Nagato nodded.

"I see", answered Haruhi, frowning. I understood that their current relationship, even if brief... was of a very intimate friendship.

"Don't feel sorry for me. I'm very happy right now. But also, I'm sorry for you."  
"For me? Why?"  
"In our world... you loved him. And by reconstructing the world, I took him away from you."

Haruhi didn't answer. She just waited for Nagato to speak again.

"I'm sorry. I loved him too much to lose him. Will you forgive me?"  
"Yuki... of course I forgive you! You're my friend! And... he was yours from the beginning. You... your future self told me everything.... including the times that you - wait, it was your past self - you do remember telling me, right?"

Nagato, you told her everything!

She nodded. I didn't know how to answer that.

"John, don't worry for me. I'm not jealous. I understand."

"But you WILL remember.", added Nagato.  
"What?"

Oh, great, just when everything was going fine, something has to ruin it.

"Being in love with him. You will remember everything when the world's restored to its former state."

Haruhi swallowed.

"Oh, God, you mean... I'll... fall in love with him... again?"

Nagato nodded in response, but her gaze did not meet Haruhi's.

"Will it... hurt?"

"I'm sorry."

"No! I don't want it! Now now! Yuki, I don't care what happens to my memory. I don't want to compete with you!"  
"It wouldn't be fair for you. I let him remember because I wanted him to make the choice. I want you to be free to make the choice, too."

Wait a minute - isn't someone being left out in here? Me! I should be the one to decide who to be with!

But I couldn't say that. Haruhi swallowed and looked down.

"I understand", she said. "Thank you."

(That was the last time she spoke of this.)

The next to speak was Asahina-san.

"Doctor - I mean... Kyon-kun... it's time."

Knowing it was time to part, I let Kimidori-san come with us (she also belonged to our time frame). We took our shoes, and Nagato was alone again.

"Nagato... take good care of us in that room."

She nodded.

Not wanting to disturb the saddened Haruhi, I spoke with my lips only.

(I love you.)

"......"

After I closed the door, I felt Nagato's hand holding mine. Was it just me, or I felt a brief caress?

Never mind... I was happy knowing that Nagato was starting to be sincere with me. Deep inside me, even if only in my imagination... I could see her smiling. And I knew, that in her mind, she was.

"We're going to December 17", said Asahina-san, "three years in the future. Ready, everyone?"

We all nodded.

"Don't let go of me", she added. "Two people in stasis is already too much for Nagato-san."

Threatened by this, Haruhi and I tightened our hold on Asahina-san's hands. And just as Oz vanished when Dorothy used her magic shoes, the past disappeared from our sight.

**(End of chapter 15)**

Please R&R!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

"Don't let go of me", she added. "Two people in stasis is already too much for Nagato-san."

Threatened by this, Haruhi and I tightened our hold on Asahina-san's hands.

"Kyon-kun, don't get time sick."

I closed my eyes, but when we started traveling into the future, I realized that I had experienced this feeling before. It was... just like traveling in the TARDIS. Yes, I recognize this! This is the Time Vortex! Of course! Why didn't I remember!

I was amazed. How Asahina-san managed to surpass the Time Lords' technology for time travel, was a mystery. Perhaps the IDSE and the time travelers discovered new technologies by working together... but now's not the time to talk about these details.

I was surprised by the fact that I did not get timesick this time. We arrived to the late evening of December 17, near the park where I met with Asahina-san. It was around 8PM. The night before the world was transformed. I looked at Nagato and smiled at her, caressing her hand.

"Thank you", she said with her lips only.

"Whoo!" huffed Haruhi. "I still can't get used to this!" she said, giggling.

Even while shivering for the sudden change in temperature, I couldn't resist chuckling along. I had never imagined I would be traveling in time with Haruhi. By the way, Asahina-san... it's been a while since we traveled in time together - like the old times.

"Ah... this brings backs old memories, doesn't it, Doctor? I mean, Kyon-kun."

Heheh. Yeah. Asahina-san, I wonder. Am I allowed now to know how's the future in here?

"Nope. You belong to this time line... so it's classified for you."  
Oh well, can't say I didn't try. Hey, Haruhi, what are you smiling at?

"Eh? Ah, nothing, nothing!" she answered, looking at Asahina-san suspiciously happy. Hey, Asahina-san, why don't you take my coat? I have the scarf, after all.

"Thank you, Kyon-kun.", she said, before I offered my scarf to Haruhi.

"No, thanks. I got my own."

"We're going for the time capsule, right?" I asked.

"Wait", interrupted Nagato.

"What?"  
"You need countermeasures. Just in case."  
"What countermeasures?" I asked.  
"A protective barrier against the change - in case the plan fails."

Wait a minute, you're not suggesting -

"Even if the change takes place, I'll still be able to transform the world back to how it was. But I trust that our plan will succeed."

You're right, Nagato. What should we do?  
"Your arm."  
"My arm?"

Nagato took my arm, opening her mouth while revealing her fangs. This startled Haruhi and Asahina-san. I remembered when she had to do the same to her, to counteract the deadly Mikuru-beam. If someone had watched the low budget movie we had made, he would have thought it was funny. The truth was much more terrifying than that.

But more than anything, I remembered when Nagato had bitten her human self, who became a humanoid interface once more. I tried to avoid looking at her. Just remembering the time when she smiled at me, crying, and the change - just a few minutes ago...

But she didn't bite. Instead, she looked at me.

"Why are you crying?"  
"I'm sorry, Nagato, I just remembered a few minutes ago..."  
"Does it hurt?"

I swallowed.

"Sorry."

She lowered my arm. "In that case, there's an alternative method."  
"There is?"

Nagato looked at Haruhi and said: "Please close your eyes."  
"Huh? Okay."

Nagato closed her eyes began to hug me. How dare I refuse this opportunity for a kiss! My pleasure!

We kissed, and I felt Nagato kissing my lower lip. Then it became a soft bite, and a brief sting - not painful, just a little pressure inside. It was brief. Then, the kiss stopped.

I touched my lower lip with my hands, and I felt two bite marks - like the ones of a poisonous snake, or a vampire bat. But the next second, they were gone.

She looked at me. "I'm changing. Three years ago I wouldn't have understood - But I understand now."

I sighed. "You're right, Nagato. Sorry for..."

She nodded at me (no apology was needed), and caressed my cheek with her left arm. It felt so soft... and warm.

Her eyes... her eyes expressed so much emotion! Oh, Nagato, thank you. Thank you so much.

She turned around, and talked to Haruhi. "You can open your eyes now. Your turn."

"Okay!"

Haruhi stretched her arm, and Nagato injected her more nanomachines that... did their work.

Next in line was Asahina-san. "Sorry for giving you so much trouble during the filming."  
"It was my fault. I was careless.", she replied.  
"Still... it was fun, don't you think?"

Nagato looked at Asahina-san, and nodded quickly.

"Nagato... you're saying you did have fun during the filming of the movie?"  
"You looked funny when you didn't understand my explanation for 'laser'."

I couldn't help chuckling at that. For some reason I avoided eye contact. Maybe I was blushing?

I looked at her again, and saw that she and Kimidori-san stared at each other for a couple of seconds. Then Nagato looked at me.

"We're ready."

I sighed. I remembered why we were here. Well, the sooner, the better.

"Alright. Asahina-san, where's the time capsule?"  
"Just a few steps from here."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yup."

We kept walking and met with another Haruhi and Asahina-san, who were waiting for us. I wasn't impressed - I remember having seen much weirder things by now.

"Hey, over here!" shouted the other Haruhi. Her Asahina-san just smiled, without saying anything.  
"Shush!" shouted our Haruhi. "You don't know how many people will be looking at us!"  
"Oh, right. Well, we'll be going now. Here's the shovel."  
"Thanks!"

Asahina-san and Haruhi hid behind some bushes. I tried to follow them but they were gone already.

"So, Asahina-san", I asked, were they your past or future selves?  
"Past, Kyon-kun. Just one of the many missions we took to make sure this worked out right. But we're on our own now."  
"I see. Alright, where do I dig?"

Nagato pointed to a spot on the ground.

"Here?" I asked with the shovel. She nodded.

After a few digs, I felt I hit something hard. I removed the dirt around it, and found a wooden box. Inside were a CD and one of the pen drives that stored our recordings.

"Something's wrong", said Kimidori-san.

What?

"The data has been erased".

"No!" shouted Haruhi and I at the same time.

"It can't be! Are you sure?" I asked.

"The CD is the same one we labeled. But the information is gone."

"Nagato-san... what does that mean?"

Obviously, Asahina-san was asking about the consequences of this. Who erased that information? How, and why?

"We don't know. But it was erased this same day. And the copies in the mail have been altered, too."

Wait! I still have my copy. Is it okay?

"Yes. This copy hasn't been altered."

"And mine?" asked Haruhi.

"It's fine, too."

"Nagato", I said, "can you copy the information to the pen drive and the CD?"

She nodded. "Done. Additionally, I've added a layer of protection against tampering."

"Can you do the same with the ones in the mail?"  
"Negative. A data barrier has been put in there."  
"A data barrier? Who did it?"  
"The Innovative faction."  
"The what?" asked Haruhi, again.

Nagato looked at Haruhi and began to explain. "The Integrated Data Sentient Entity is composed by several factions - parties, and sub-factions among them. The four main factions are the Moderates, the Innovative, the Compromise, and the Thinking, which I belong to."

"Yes, that's right. Wait, four factions? When I last knew, there were only three factions in the Techno core - oh, right. I forgot."

I had forgotten that when we changed the world, we reached a deal with the now-called Integrated Data Sentient Entity, one of the thought entities residing in the fabric of Space Time. They sheltered the various factions of the Techno core, adopting them as their own. I only knew the basics of the IDSE, but the factions weren't as defined as they are now. It seems that, effectively, the Techno core and the IDSE have benefited mutually. That's good to know. What I don't understand, is how I feel so glad about this - shouldn't I be afraid of the IDSE and the new powers the Techno core entities have gained?

But I wasn't afraid. I also remembered how I broke Nagato's bond - what the hell are they up to? Whatever. Let's go back to consider the Innovative party. It's the one that prefers to take actions and bypass the rules whenever they can - even at the cost of human lives. Hmmm, who does this remind me of?

I shuddered at the thought of that girl wielding a combat knife to try to tear my tissues apart. I'd rather not think about it.

"Kimidori-san, can you and Nagato try to combine your abilities to undo the Innovatives' barrier and restore the info before it reaches Haruhi?"

"We'll try."

Kimidori-san and Nagato closed their eyes, but quickly opened.

"Denied", said Nagato.

"I'm sorry, Kyon-kun." added Kimidori-san. "At least we know that the data was just erased and not modified. Still, you must find an alternative."  
"Why?"  
"Another debate is taking place within the IDSE. The current deal is to withhold this information from this time frame's Suzumiya-san. The other copies, however, can be brought to her."

"But why? What are the innovatives planning?"  
"I'm sorry, Kyon-kun. I can't tell you. I also must go."  
"Go?"  
"You'll understand later."

Saying this, she vanished into thin air. Dammit. I have a bad feeling about this. "Nagato, suggestions?"  
"Deliver the information personally."

I don't like the sound of it. "Haruhi, you know better than anybody how to get to your house. But I'd like to know, too."

"Alright."

She gave us her address and explained in a few words how to get there.

Asahina-san stood up. "Well, this is as far as I can accompany you, Kyon-kun."

No! Asahina-san, you too?  
"I'm sorry. But I have other matters to attend. But I can give you a souvenir."

Wait, what?

Asahina-san gave me a nice pin that I attached to my shirt. It glittered with different colors. Now, I'm sure I've seen this somewhere else, but where?

"Good bye, Kyon-kun. Take care. And above all, remember who you are."  
"Okay, Asahina-san. See you later."

She waved, before walking back to the bushes.

"So it's just us three. Well, there's no time to lose."

We began to walk towards Haruhi's house. This was a first. I knew that I wouldn't be allowed inside - the information had to arrive to her personally.

I was getting nervous. I had the feeling that something really bad was brewing - but I couldn't find out the details. Each step I walked faster, and faster. Haruhi understood my feelings and our walk became a run.

"How long till your house?"  
"Just ten blocks. Wait a minute - where's Yuki?"

I turned around, and Nagato was gone. Vanished. Disappeared.

"Nagato! Nagato!"

I couldn't believe this. Just a few minutes ago, everything was going according to plan. And now, the information had been altered, we couldn't go back to the past, Kimidori-san was gone, and now Nagato!

"Nagato!"

"John, I have a bad feeling..."

"I know, Haruhi, I know!"

My cellphone started to ring. I got a message. Its contents gave me the shivers, and I began to realize how grave the situation was.

"Trapped. D[]lay u[]known. Go w[][][]out me. A. Ry[][][]"

The rest of the message was garbled.

"Nagato!"

I quickly responded the message. "Couldn't understand last part. How can I help?"

Come on, Nagato... come on!

"C[]nn[]t h[]lp me. Cu[]prit i[]"

The message was truncated again. Then my cellphone buzzed again, and finally, the message was delivered clearly. And my spine felt 10 times colder than the air surrounding us when I read the message.

"Cu[]prit: A. Ryoko. Go wit[][][]t me. H[]rry[]"

If Nagato had been trapped along with Asakura... let's hope she manages to be Okay. Of course she'll be okay, right?

I trust in you, Nagato. And Asakura, if you lay one finger on her... I swear to you... you'll regret it.

"Let's go, Haruhi."

"Okay."

We kept running, and I was hoping that we wouldn't encounter any more troubles. As usual, my expectations were too high.

"John... something's going on... I feel kinda dizzy..."

What?

I felt a sense of Déjà vu. I had felt this experience before. I looked at the buildings, and I felt like I had been there somewhere else. No, wait, I haven't. What's this?

The air felt strange. And every step I took, I felt dizzy and the Déjà Vu returned. Soon I could see some kind of fog, moving around us, swirling, producing mirages like hot air on desert plains.

The buildings appeared to move with the hot air. But... it wasn't hot air. It was still cold (freezing, in fact). What the hell was that?

I finally recognized the feeling.

"A hyper entropic barrier. And we're inside it."  
"What?"  
"We're being transported into the future."  
"What do you mean transported into the future?"

It wasn't a concept easy to explain. But knowing Haruhi, I was sure she'd understand.

"In the future, time technology will not only take form of time traveling devices - there are also time traps, which freeze you in time, or in this case, a hyper entropic trap. The ones responsible must have had access to a great energy source."

"I... I feel sick..."

"Let's sit down. And try to avoid the tides."  
"Okay. John, what can we do about this?"  
"I'm... not sure... we could try to move around this maze, or go back."

Haruhi picked the obvious choice, but when we were about to return to the street we came from, we couldn't go on.

"Dammit", shouted Haruhi. "John... this is just like a sealed space!"  
"Oh, crap."

Effectively, the barrier glowed whenever we touched it, and no matter how much strength we applied, we still couldn't get out.

We reclined ourselves on the barrier, and sat down.

I couldn't help chuckling about the situation.

"John, what's so funny about this?"  
"I just remembered when we were trapped in the sealed space in spring... you were all excited about the Avatars, and I was all freaked out."  
"And how did you get out of there?"

I looked at her. "You wouldn't like it."  
"John, if there's a way to get out, we must try it!"  
"Alright! I kissed you, okay? But it was different. That sealed space was built by you, and it was the only way for you to want to return to the old world."  
"Oh... I see..."

The sky was getting darker, and darker. But at the same time, the entropic tides were feeling fainter and fainter.

"Haruhi. Can you feel it?"  
"Yes... the barrier... it's weakening."  
"Maybe we can try to get out if we push harder."  
"Alright... should we try again?"  
"Yes. On the count of three. One... two..."

Before we could count to three, the tides were gone, and the barrier disappeared.

"It's gone!"

I looked at my watch. Of course it wouldn't work. It still marked the time when we were trapped in the barrier.

"Let's hope that the universe hasn't changed yet. Haruhi, take my phone and call yourself. There's no time to lose."

"Okay. What should I say?"  
"Nagato's in danger. John Smith needs your esper powers to save the world."  
"You think she would understand that?"  
"We must try."

As Haruhi began calling herself, I realized that something didn't quite fit. If it was really the core - I mean, the Integrated Data Sentient Entity, why would they want to delay us? Our failure would become their death sentence. Why the heck would they want to do that?

It didn't make sense at all. I began to realize that the sooner we did this, the better. I took Haruhi's phone and called the hour line.

"The time is... Three. Forty. Five. AM."

3:45 AM? Dammit! I hadn't expected time to go THAT fast! We only have 30 minutes to reach Haruhi, wake her up and prevent the change from taking place. Unless...

I dialed Nagato's home number. I didn't know if the news would be good or bad. After all, this would be the Nagato that was going through a crisis - a crisis so strong that would make her change the world.

"Hello? Nagato?"  
"Help me..."  
"Nagato, how are you feeling?"  
"It's happening..."  
"Don't worry, Nagato. Everything will be fine."  
"I'm scared..." she said. "I don't know... how much time... I can hold it..."  
"Shh... it's okay, Nagato. Everything will go as planned... look, I'm here, I'm ready as the recipient for Haruhi's powers."  
"Too many unknown factors... I don't know what to do."  
"Just trust me, Nagato. Please, trust me. And remember I still love you. Please, Nagato, trust me."  
"Hurry."

I was interrupted by Haruhi's voice at the other phone. "Kyon? Kyon! Who you think you are, waking me up at this hour! It better be important!"

I nodded at Haruhi, who was covering the mic with her hand, and waiting for my signal.

"It IS important!" she shouted. "Now listen, there's no time! Yuki's in danger! And John - hello? Hello!"  
"Haruhi, what happened?"  
"The batteries are out."  
"Dammit! Use YOUR phone!"

Haruhi used her phone to dial herself, but got a busy signal. Of course! It's using the same chip! It's the same phone, but from the future! She can't dial herself using her OWN phone!

"Haruhi, quick! The batteries!"

We exchanged batteries, and immediately my phone began to ring.  
"Hello? Haruhi?"  
"Kyon! That sounded like me on the phone! What's going on!"  
"Haruhi! It's an emergency!"  
"What emergency?"

It's now or never.

"I'M JOHN SMITH!"

Three seconds... no answer. Did it work?

"Kyon! I can't hear you! All I can hear is static. What did you say about Yuki? Hello? Hello---"

Static.

DAMMIT!

"Screw the phone", I said, giving it to Haruhi. "We're going right over her house. Dammit, I was THIS close!

"Suzumiya-san!"

We turned around. It was Koizumi.

"Koizumi, I'm so glad I found you. We're in a huge emergency!"  
"I'm informed of the situation. You go to Suzumiya-san's house. Suzumiya-san, follow me."

Haruhi went with Koizumi, but then I heard the sound of an electric arc. I saw Haruhi falling down to the ground...

And Koizumi turning around, smiling in the scariest and most evil smile I would ever see.

"Koizumi! What the hell are you doing!"

He gave a kick to the already paralyzed Haruhi's stomach, and walked towards me. You BASTARD!

I prepared to give him a punch. I don't care why you're doing this. But you're gonna pay!

But I couldn't hit him.

"What the?"

I tried to hit him again, but he kept avoiding my punches - and instead managed to punch me and give me a few kicks.

It can't be... Tae Kwon Do... AND Karate? AND Kung Fu? His forms were perfect, as if he had already mastered the arts. I quickly remembered my training in martial arts as a Time Lord, and managed to counter his attacks and strike a blow or two, still wondering who he learned from.

"Where did you learn that?" I asked, jumping backwards and staying in guard stance.

"I see the surprise has worked out perfectly. Never mind, this fight will be interesting."

"Who are you?"

Koizumi (or the man disguised as him) walked slowly in a semicircle around me, with his hands confidently put in his pockets.

"You were foolish to think you're the only one who made a deal with the Techno core...

...Doctor."

My adrenaline levels multiplied as I finally recognized his grin, realizing that my worst nightmare was standing right before my eyes, and at the worst time possible.

In front of me, in the disguise of Koizumi Itsuki, was my arch-enemy...

The Master.

**(End of Chapter 16)**


	17. Chapter 17

"Who are you?"

Koizumi (or the man disguised as him) walked slowly in a semicircle around me, with his hands confidently put in his pockets.

"You were foolish to think you're the only one who made a deal with the Techno core...

...Doctor."

My adrenaline levels multiplied as I finally recognized his grin, realizing that my worst nightmare was standing right before my eyes, and at the worst time possible.

In front of me, in the disguise of Koizumi Itsuki, was my arch-enemy...

The Master.

**Chapter 17.**

"Long time no see, Doctor! I hope you enjoyed your vacations", he said, with a maniacal grin before throwing more punches at me. One at the head, I dodged right. One kick to my right leg so I would lose balance, but I jumped and threw a kick to his face. I quickly turned around and used my elbow directed at his neck, which he countered easily with a punch to my stomach, which I blocked with my right hand. I was lucky I had my memory restored, or else I wouldn't be able to fight at this level.

"It's no use!" I shouted. "We're both equally trained in martial arts. What do you expect from fighting me?"

He smiled.

"You'll find out if you defeat me!"

For a hundredth of a second, I stopped to remember what my mission was. To reach Haruhi and regain the power that I lent her, before Nagato changed the world. But I shouldn't have gotten distracted - the Master used the opportunity to kick me in the face. I blocked, but not fast enough - dammit.

Still, I couldn't counter with any dangerous moves until I knew for sure. I managed to roll backwards before he could kick me again, and jumped sideways.

"What did you do to Koizumi?"  
"Now that's a better question, Doctor. Fine, you want to know if I acted all this time? That's what you want to know? Well, yes", he answered, smiling again. "It was me, all the time."

Liar.

"I see you're reluctant to accept the truth, doctor."  
"If it's really you, Koizumi, then answer me", I said, slowly stepping back. "After we got out of that Endless Recursion of time, what did we play?"  
"What?"

I feinted a kick to the stomach just enough to regain the initiative - and keep my distance.

"We played a game of cards", I shouted. "What was my draw?"  
"I..."  
"It's an easy one, Koizumi! Think!"

He jumped back. "You're not fooling me. You want me to lose my stance so you can beat me while I'm distracted."

"Fine, I'll step back and give you time to think. What was my draw?"

"I... don't remember. My memory has been fuzzy lately."

"Well, that's one. I'll ask you two other questions. Who was driving the cab when you told me about the Anthropic Principle, just when I started knowing Haruhi?"

"Well, how was I supposed to know?"

"It's a person we both know very well. Especially you, Koizumi."

Silence.

"Three. What was your first suggestion for getting Haruhi out of the time loop?"

The Endless summer. I wouldn't forget it. And if I know him right, Koizumi wouldn't forget it either. Especially the suggestions in his homoerotic tone, made just to annoy the hell out of me.

"Alright, if you want to remember..."

He recovered his posture, sighed. And looked at me like the Koizumi I always knew.

"To kiss her."

I smiled in relief. He noticed, and looked at me with hate in his eyes. "Alright, you win, Doctor. I'm not your high school friend Koizumi. But why do you insist on fighting me?"

You cheater, it was you who started. And knocking out Haruhi - with a taser, nonetheless. Wait, why hasn't he used it against me? Bah, he must be keeping it hidden as a last resort weapon. Anyway, right now I must think how to defeat him. And quickly. But how?

And all the people who could give me a hand are gone. Asahina-san jumped back to whichever timeframe she belongs to. Koizumi - the real one - is nowhere to be found. Kimidori-san, gone. This time's Nagato is in the middle of an emotional crisis, while my time's Nagato is fighting Asakura. Haruhi is unconscious.

I'm all by myself in here. Well, knowing the Master, perhaps it's better this way. I don't want to lose any of my friends. I just hope that Nagato manages to defeat Asakura before the current Nagato changes the world.

Still, there must be something I can do.

I heard a groan a few steps away.

Haruhi?

"Kyon... why did Koizumi-kun..."

I quickly ran towards her. This part of my plan was a success. I got the Master far enough from her so that I could protect her.

"He's not the real Koizumi. How are you feeling?"

"I... I can't walk! What did he do to me!"

This was serious. It wasn't just a taser that he used. Apparently he used something else to stop Haruhi from reaching her present self.

This had been planned in advance. Indeed, only the Master would be so careful in his planning. It would take everything I got to defeat him.

"You rest here, Haruhi. I'll deal with him."

"Not so fast!" he shouted, charging at me. Dammit, I can't dodge now, or he'll hit Haruhi!"

He punched me in the neck while the only thing Haruhi could do was watch. I had to get him away from her, and quickly. I grabbed him and rolled away just one meter. Both stood up, but I still had Haruhi behind me.

"You love playing Chess, doctor. How come you forgot the error that is exposing yourself to a pin?"

He took out a switchblade from his pocket, and prepared to throw it full force against Haruhi. I had to stop him, quickly!

I charged at him, and then he aimed for my head. Come on, shoot if that's what you want! But I won't let you harm Haruhi!

He threw the knife. I didn't dodge. Instead, I stopped the weapon with my cardigan, and threw it away. Very far, out of his reach.

"You idiot, you could have used that to your advantage!"

"You know it's not my style."

"Fine. You passed that test, Doctor. But can you stop a bullet with a piece of clothing?"

He reached inside his cardigan and pulled out a revolver.

"You think I'd miss the chance to finally get rid of you? You have two choices, doctor. You block, and you die. You dodge, and she dies."

I was frozen. I couldn't believe I fell into this trap. Dammit. What was wrong with me? I should have foreseen this!

He was about to pull the trigger, when my phone (which was still in Haruhi's hands) began to rang.

"Kyon, catch!" shouted Haruhi from behind me.

This might be the chance that I was hoping for. If I managed to quickly answer, and shout "I'm John Smith!", it wouldn't matter if the Haruhi near me died. I would revive her instantly using the present Haruhi's powers. The answer to all this mess was just to catch that cellphone, that described a perfect parabolic trajectory, from Haruhi's hand to my own.

The Master had no choice but to shoot at the phone. Whether that was present Haruhi calling me back, or just a distraction planned just in time by the alternate Haruhi, it didn't matter. The Master had a chance to win, and lost it. I charged at him and disarmed him quickly.

But then he ran past me and towards Haruhi. Dammit!

"You bitch!" he shouted, kicking her in the stomach once before I could reach him. I finally reached him, and we began struggling on the floor. But my position wasn't optimal, and he got free.

You bastard. How many dirty tricks are you planning to pull? I took a brief look at my watch. We had only 15 minutes left before the change of the world would take place. And I still hadn't done anything to reach Haruhi.

Damn!

For all my life, I had always feared that it would come to this. I had promised myself that I would never actively use lethal force against the Master. But if I didn't do something, the world as we knew it would come to an end, and my mission would have failed.

What happens if we fail? What happens if Nagato changes the world - again? Wait... something's odd here... why would the Master want Nagato to...

It was then that I realized what the Master's plan really was about. It all made sense.

"You plan to steal Haruhi's power for yourself!"

"Bravo! Bravo!" he said, clapping slowly, as if we were part of some twisted play. "You finally got it, Doctor. But now you may start to wonder, what I'm planning to do with it. This was my deal with the Techno core. I will bring back the old world. The Daleks, and the Family, and yes, even the cruciform parasite. Oh, you're going to love it."

He walked towards me slowly, and continued his speech. "You did well. You just dug your own grave, Doctor, placing yourself in a world with no advantage, no memories, and putting the Ultimate Power in the hands of a little girl, so I could easily snatch it like a candy. And now you're not match for me."

I stopped in defeat.

"You were right, Master... Now I see where I failed. You were right the first time."  
"Oh?"  
"Yes, you were right that time... when you said I should have killed you."

I looked at him in the eyes, and for a moment, I saw surprise in him. Well, Master... you asked for it.

The real fight had just begun.

First, a punch to the head. He would obviously block. I would grab his arm and throw him backwards. He then would grab mine. A knock to the face with my forehead - which he would dodge by curving himself backwards. A leg pull to make him lose his balance - countered by a somersault. I had to break contact and land on a nearby light post. Using the momentum, I jumped at him with a flying kick. He obviously dodged. But that's what I had expected. Finally, we were far enough from Haruhi so that she would be safe from the fight.

See, very few things are left to chance when engaging in a martial arts fight. It's more like chess. A blitz chess. The moment when you throw an attack, you already know what's the most efficient way to block it (or counter it), and what's the most efficient way to counter that block. Using the terrain to your advantage, squeezing the juice of opportunities - errors in the opponent's form or speed - to defeat him. As usual, the one who decides the winner in a match is not the fastest or the strongest, but who makes the fewer mistakes. And usually, only one mistake can prove to be fatal.

The fight quickly turned from Karate to Jujutsu to Tae Kwon Do; then to Jeet Kune Do, Muai Thai, Chun Kuk Do; back to Karate again. It happened so fast that the untrained eye wouldn't be able to follow it. But I was completely concentrated. Eventually, my percentage of successful hits increased and increased.

"So this is the real you, Doctor. How long I waited for this final battle!"

A punch to the stomach using my legs as leverage. I threw him to the ground before he took out something from his pocket.

A flash of light hit my eyes. In normal circumstances, that would have knocked me out. I recognized the device. A synapse neutralizer. So that's how he knocked Haruhi down. But it didn't knock _me_ down. Why?

The Master was asking himself the very same question, which was answered by a beep coming from my shirt. Hey, it's the pin that Asahina-san gave me! Wait a minute, this is no ordinary pin...

I touched it, and it shifted into a different shape. A shape that was very familiar for me. Now I felt a little better. I aimed the sonic screwdriver at the device the Master was wielding, making it explode. With his hand hurt, I had turned the advantage to my side once again.

According to my calculations, we still had a few more minutes. More than enough to knock him out and run to Haruhi's house.

I charged at the Master. I was feeling more confident, but didn't let my guard down. Instead, I focused on knocking him as efficiently as possible. There was no time to waste.

He slowly began losing focus, and with each punch, his reaction time slowed. I gave him one last punch before knocking him down to the ground.

"The battle's over, Master. You lose."

He began to laugh.

"You really think so, Doctor? No. YOU lose."

"What?"

I felt a pointy object reach my back. An intense pain ran through my spine.

"Hello, Kyon-kun... missed me?"

Asakura... Ryoko.

I fell to the ground. The pain was unbearable.

"I finallly defeated Nagato-san, but don't worry, she's safe. Just powerless."

Then I contemplated horrified how Asakura changed shapes into a monster made of metal and spikes, with four arms, and red, glowing eyes.

"Well, Kyon-kun... or Doctor, if that's how you prefer... enjoy your last minutes of life."

"Get me down... you damned shrike..."

"Oh, Kyon-kun, you can still talk? Ah, of course, you're a Time Lord now. Here, let me make this more painful."

Dammit. She sure knows how to pull my nerves!

Something began to lift me. I was stabbed... no, impaled in some kind of metal tree filled with spikes, that just appeared from the ground.

Upside down, I could see the Master stand up and shout. "See, Doctor? I already had planned this in advance! I hope you enjoy this little sample of the old world!"

He laughed again. To think I was defeated by Asakura... dammit, this wasn't supposed to happen!

Haruhi... she was looking at me... crying... no, Haruhi, don't cry, please...

She stood up and muttered something. I read her lips, she was calling my name.

"Kyon..." she said. Then she shouted. "Kyon, if you don't save the world now, I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

Hey, that's just like you, Haruhi... wait a minute. Why do you keep calling me... Kyon? Didn't you call me "John" just a couple of hours ago?

I began to laugh... even if it hurt.

"Why are you laughing, Kyon-kun?" asked the monstrous Asakura.

"Asakura... put me down... now..."

"You must be really losing it, Kyon-kun... why would I put you down?"

"Or else."

I looked at Haruhi, and Asakura followed my sight to look at her. Haruhi was holding something in her hand... something that would explain how we actually won.

She was holding...

A wig. This wasn't the long-haired alternate Haruhi. This was _THIS_ Haruhi! The Haruhi that founded the SOS brigade, and whom I was supposed to retrieve the Ultimate Power from!

I finally understood. I had already won. Asahina-san must have erased my memories (at my orders) so I could fool the Master (or perhaps I did that in the future. I'll ask Asahina-san to give me the details later).

Okay, the facade's up. I instantly healed myself, made the spike tree disappear, and levitated slowly to the ground.

Asakura was no longer a monster - she was still the humanoid interface.

"Asakura..." I said, reprimanding her, "don't say I didn't warn you."  
"What? But -"

Behind her, was Nagato who touched her and started making her disappear. My Nagato, which I had just fred from Asakura's trap. No, wait... she had lost on purpose!

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?", I asked.

Nagato nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You specifically asked me not to tell you."

Yes, of course. I was such a fool.

Now, what would I do to the Master (which I had returned to his original form)? I knew killing him would be bad - in fact, it was not my role to do that. But still, he was a genocide, and had to be judged by his crimes.

"Master, you had your chance."

"Come on", he replied, "you're going to kill me now that I'm powerless?"

"No. You're to be judged for your crimes. But since you're too dangerous as a time Lord, you'll be judged as a human. Don't worry, you won't remember your days as a time Lord. I'll still give you a chance to repent. That's up to you.

I didn't let him speak anymore. I set his memories to be the ones of a known serial murderer that happened to die mysteriously, and put him in his place. He'll have the chance to repent of his crimes in jail.

Next, I healed Haruhi. I still wondered how she managed to... ah, never mind, I'll remember eventually.

"Haruhi, are you okay?"

She only responded with a hug, and a kiss.

"Kyon, you idiot... you scared me to death!"  
"I know, Haruhi... I'm sorry..."  
"But you did well."  
"You too."

I looked at my watch. It was 4:14AM. Just a few seconds before the changing of the world.

There was only one person to arrive. And there she was, walking towards us.

"Nagato!" I shouted. "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. And... she was crying!

"It.. hurts..."

I hugged her, and kissed her. And then hugged her again. "Don't worry, Nagato, the nightmare's over. It's over now."

I looked at Haruhi. "I assume", I said, "it's you who'll be turned into that other Haruhi, right?"  
"Yes. Well, what are you waiting for! We have a world to save!"

I chuckled. You're always right, Haruhi. You're always right.

"Kyon..."  
"Yes?"  
"Make me forget. Knowing... you know... it hurts."  
"I understand."

The current Nagato spoke. "I will perform the transformation."  
"Wait."

I spoke to the other Nagato. "Nagato... Yuki... you're a human now. Everything you lived and suffered so far, was just a dream. You have the right to be happy, understand?"

She looked at me, still crying... and nodded... and smiled.

I spoke to the other Nagato.

"Please make it as painless as possible for both of them."  
"Okay."

And with a waving of her hand, the world was transformed. Twice.

**(End of Chapter 17)**


	18. Epilogue

**Epilogue.**

Night. At one of the hospital terraces.

"So, basically, that's what happened", I told Koizumi.  
"Amazing, indeed", he answered, reclining his elbows on the fence. "And here I thought you were only a human being."  
"I guess that puts us in the same club. To be honest, I really don't know whether I'm still a Time Lord or not."  
"Or perhaps the universe was just created last night", he added, saying with a hand gesture, "and these were the memories that were given to us."

I shrugged. After all, this was a whole new universe, and we didn't know what would be ahead of us. But I was sure of one thing: The status of the SOS brigade would never be the same. I would no longer be the Arthur Dent that was always passive to the dangers in front of him. Haruhi would no longer be locked out of the loop and oblivious to her having the ultimate power - especially after having the crap being beaten out of her by the Master.

And about Yuki...

Yuki. It's been almost three days since Haruhi fell in coma, and Yuki hasn't smiled again. Either she's completely traumatized by the aforementioned events, or she just went back to being her old self. At least I feel better knowing that she wasn't being threatened with deletion in the first place. That thought just gives me the shivers.

I sighed. It's time to see how Haruhi is again.

While I was walking down the stairs, I wondered what would be better for Haruhi... the world's no wonder being in jeopardy should she remember - so it was time to see what would be better for her. Would it be better if she remembered everything - including her pain for losing me as a romantic interest? How would knowing that she never had a chance after all, affect her?

The consequences of establishing an ontological paradox can be hard for one. What was my responsibility for falling in love with Nagato, even after Haruhi needed me so much? But I wouldn't have met Haruhi in the first place if I hadn't traveled back in time to three years ago... heh. Years of time traveling and I still can't answer a question so simple. What's your responsibility now, Kyon?

Bah, whatever! As a Time Lord, I've always been successful at improvising and dealing with the unknown. Why shouldn't I be able to, as a human being? But enough pondering.

"Koizumi... I still have to thank you for lending us this hospital for Haruhi."  
"My thanks go to you", he answered. "Finally I'm free from having to wake up in the middle of the night to take care of _those guys_. For that you have my complete gratitude", he said.

"Now that I think of it... does that mean you're a normal human being now?"  
"I sincerely hope so. To be honest, I never liked the idea of having these powers being invested upon me without my consent. And it's not like I have stopped being a member of the brigade. And I really like participating, even if passively, in the brigade activities."

"But, Koizumi... if you could choose between having those powers or not... what would you choose?"  
"The powers by themselves are irrelevant to me. What really scared me was having the fate of the universe depend on my performance in the sealed spaces. It's just too much responsibility for one man."

"Yeah, I can relate."

We approached Haruhi's room. Sitting outside, was Asahina-san (young). She still looked like a boy who had his little dog getting rolled by a car while playing ball. I guess some things _don't_ change after all.

"How is she?"

Asahina-san frowned. "Kyon-kun... i'm getting a bit scared... what if she doesn't wake up after all?"

"Don't worry, she will. You have to trust Nagato on this."  
"Yes, but..."  
"By the way, have you talked to her yet?"  
"About what?"  
"About life... loneliness... and how you feel... those things."  
"Uh... no, Kyon-kun... but why should I -"  
"Please do. "

Nagato came out of the room.

"Any news yet?" I asked.

She just shook her head. And then she looked at me. With _that_ gaze. That gaze that said nothing... and everything. I looked back at her, and felt tempted to caress her cheek. But as I slowly raised my hand, she held it and stopped me.

"Not yet", she said to me. "We must still wait". Nope, she wasn't talking about Haruhi, but about _us. _Still, her words were clever, as everyone else thought she was talking about _her_. I nodded, noticing for the first time that, as an android, she was still able to make conscious decisions regarding us and those that surrounded us.

Koizumi stepped in to take care of Haruhi. "Do not worry", he said. "I'll take good care of her."

And then I noticed, that Koizumi smiled faintly. But contrary to other times, his smile looked more calm, and sincere.

"I fancy her a lot", I remembered him saying. He looked very disappointed when he told me that Haruhi only liked him because he seemed mysterious.

As he closed the door, I wondered what things he could whisper to her while she was sleeping. Would he confess his love to her? Or tell her about our adventures in sealed space?

I looked at Yuki again. "Nagato..."

She looked at me again. I only smiled at her, and she nodded. She moved her lips without making a sound, but I understood perfectly what she said, and it should be obvious by now what she said. I liked to be reassured that her feelings were being sincere. That's one of the things that changed, and I was grateful for that. I caressed her hand. "Nagato, please trust Asahina-san. She can be a wonderful friend."

She looked at Asahina-san, making her nervous.

"Asahina-san, I think Nagato and you need to talk about lots of things. Please, do not waste this valuable time."  
"Bu... but..."

I handled Asahina-san a piece of paper, and she gasped. "Kyon-kun... w-what does this mean?" she said, looking at me.

The paper had read: "Please don't be afraid of Nagato-san. She needs your friendship as much as you'll need hers someday."

Below, it had some squiggly lines - a special symbol that, as I would find out later, meant "critical to your mission". In a way, I'm also fond of the adult Asahina-san. She was my previous companion in the _other_ universe, but I have to tell that through the years she really has matured and become a really capable and intelligent person. I wonder who she works for "now" in the near future? Is it me? Is it Haruhi herself? Is it maybe an older Asahina-san? That would be quite funny.

As I was thinking this, walking in the hospital halls, I ran into a beautiful female doctor.

Asahina-san!

"Kyon-kun! Long time, no see."  
"Asahina-san..."  
"You still have some questions, right Kyon-kun?"  
"Well, yes, some..."

We sat down in a nearby bench.

"I suppose your first question is how we managed to get your Suzumiya-san into the past..."  
"Yes."  
"That was an easy one. It happened during the preparations for the school movie. Guess who gave her the idea to make a movie about _us,_ Kyon-kun?"

I couldn't believe it. It was you, after all?

"Let's say that the whole series of events was an experiment made by Suzumiya-san. Altho I had to lie a little..."  
"What lie?"  
"I told her that this was a parallel universe and she had to take her own place."  
"Wow. I hope nothing went wrong..."  
"Of course not. We chose this because it was a predetermined event."  
"Oh, right."  
"Of course, later I told her the truth, and she agreed to have her memory erased. She recovered it a few days before the 18th."

"I see... so there's nothing else for us to do, to keep the timeline fixed?"  
"Just something trivial, Kyon-kun. Then you won't have to worry about the past anymore. Like a normal human being, or a normal Time Lord in your case, you'll only have to worry about the future. To be sincere, I envy you a bit."  
"Me? Why?"  
"Like the Nagato-san you met this year, I'm currently tied to my future self - at least for a couple of years. I'm anxious to _not know_ what the future holds for me. I have to admit, it's both exciting and a bit scary... I may give you another visit in the future for the goodbye..."

"Wait, goodbye?"  
"Oh no, I wasn't supposed to say this... well, it's not really a goodbye... it's a bit... _complicated..._ but you don't have to worry. We'll still meet... as friends... I'm sorry, I can't say anything more."  
"I understand, Asahina-san. So I suppose you're your own future boss?"  
"Only for a while - it's boring and exciting at the same time. Don't worry, it'll be exciting for _you, _Kyon-kun_. _You'll see."  
"Thanks."

"Now I have to go. I think you should check Suzumiya-san's room, she's about to wake up."

* * *

"Kyon? John? What was that dream? Ugh, this is confusing! Where am I?"

I felt very dizzy. What the hell just happened? As I opened my eyes, I saw myself in a hospital room. It felt so weird. Wait a minute... Mikuru-chan...?

"Suzumiya-san!".

"Hey, Mikuru-chan! Why are you crying so much!"  
"We thought you weren't going to wake up!"  
"Shut up! Of course I woke up! It's not like I would let myself sleep forever... wait... I don't... remember what happened. My head..."

"You should take a rest, Haruhi. Everything's fine". Kyon, that idiot... now you try to act condescending towards me? I... I think I need to rest..."

I couldn't keep myself awake. I only heard Kyon telling everyone to go, and I heard the door close. Then I fell asleep and had this very weird dream.

I was saving the world with John Smith... the guy who helped me call upon the stars three years ago. But why did he have to have Kyon's face? This is a joke, right?

The weirdest part of the dream is that I was talking to my other self... not from an alternate world, but from an alternate timeline... weird stuff. I really can't explain it.

The dream faded, and the next dream I had was that I *****was*** **my other self. For some reason I didn't remember my previous life in North High. I had been studied at Koyouen with Koizumi-kun. Then, a few days ago, I received the most amazing call. It was John Smith! The same guy!

It was the most amazing dream I ever had. I met a time traveler, who looked a lot like Mikuru-chan. And I met myself... and...

it was just a dream. It was just a dream, right? Right?

It's not fair! I wanted to do all of these things, and...

and...

I remembered what Kyon just said to me. Well, he was John at the time. I was special. I was special for him, and for my friends...

"Oh, you woke up."

Huh?

The whole brigade was in front of me.

"Kyon! What date is this? How much have I been asleep? Answer me, we have lots of things to do!"

What? Now you're chuckling? What's so funny, you idiot!  
"Let me get my clothes!" I shouted. "We have a Christmas performance to prepare!"

The doctor came in, and said I needed to rest for a bit, after some examinations. Stupid hospital policies. Well, I guess they should detect if something's wrong with my head, with all that beating... beating? No, no... that must've been a dream.

But... why do I remember it so vividly?

And then I remembered... for some reason, I remember Yuki telling me, that she had feelings for Kyon. It was before Kyon arrived on December 18th, we were about to go shopping. Poor Yuki... I had mixed feelings about that, you know? I realized that I had feelings for him. But I can't ruin that... and I felt like... I had seen this coming. No, I already knew it. But... why?

Someone knocked the door.

"Come in!"

It was Yuki.

"Hi."  
"Yuki! How've you been? I was just thinking about you!"

"Thank you. I wanted to ask..."

"It's about Kyon, right?"

She nodded, looking down. How could I say no to her? "Yuki, it's not like he's my boyfriend or anything. You know... when I saw him for the first time at school, I felt that she would be a wonderful friend, and I really love him, but... I can't do this to you. Go ahead."

"I'm sorry."  
"Oh, you shut up! And stop being so shy!", I shouted, pointing at her. "Hey - once in a while, I want to see you smile, okay? Can't you act more human once in a while?"  
"Okay."  
"Now go, I'd like to have some time alone."  
"Thank you."

Yuki left the room really quick. I really hope she gives him a kiss or something... dammit... why am I crying?

"You love him, don't you?"  
"Uh huh..."  
"Would you like to cry on my shoulders?"  
I realized the voice sounded just like mine. It was my other self! But... how? And next to her, was the old Mikuru-chan! Is this a dream? I don't know, but it hurts, and I need so much to...

My other self hugged me, and told me things would be fine. I would find someone to love me... god, I needed that hug so much!

I must be going crazy, why am I crying to myself! Does that mean that I have nobody else to take care for me? So much that I needed to travel in time to comfort myself?

"You know", she said. "I've always wanted to do that. I asked Mikuru-chan, and she said I could. It's a bit confusing right now, but I guess you'll understand how it works."

I looked at the older Mikuru-chan, and she held my hand. "Would you like a hug?"

I nodded. She smelled nice, and I felt at peace so much...

"Mikuru-chan..."

"Yes?"

"Please, I'd like to talk to you other times... I feel so lonely at times... and I thought Kyon... John... I really don't know what's real anymore."  
"You should rest, Suzumiya-san. You'll understand everything in time. Oh - here, have this."

"What is this?"

It was a small device, something like a hair pin, but it looked like some futuristic device.  
"It's a TPDD. You're going to use it later. You'll also be able to talk to me with it."  
"Thank you! But.. how do I use it?"  
"Ask my other self to teach you. It's easy."

"Mikuru-chan..."  
"Yes?"  
"Let me sleep next to you... just for now..."  
"Okay."

I held her hand... and squeezed it... knowing that Kyon and I couldn't... but... it doesn't hurt that much right now...

"Whenever you ask, I'll be with you. It's a promise", said Mikuru-chan.  
"Thank you."

My other self was looking at us. She looked very happy. I envy her.

"You know, I'm a bit scared", she said. "Because I'll feel exactly how you're feeling right now. But I guess that'll be fine, since we're here for you. It's funny..."

"I guess..."

I was feeling sleepy. My other self took something from her pocket... it was an old hairpin I thought I had lost. It was a smiley face. Hey, where did you get that from? Never mind. I felt sleepy.

* * *

Was it just a dream? Or was it real? No... it can't be possible... as much as I'd like, time travel's not real, or is it?

I looked at my left, but there wasn't any hairpin. And there wasn't any TPDD. It was just a dream, dammit.

A few minutes later, the doctor came in, and said I could go home.

I'm exhausted. I want to play some videogames. Is this real?

It is real! Screw the videogames! "Hey, Kyon! Get in here! We're leaving!"  
"Huh? Where?"  
"Where else? To go shopping, come on, hurry! Mikuru-chan, what time is it? Let's go, let's go!"

* * *

December 24. Morning.

"Kyon-kun, wake up! Wake up!"

Brrrr! It's freezing in here! I want to sleep one more minute...

"Kyon-kun! Wake up!"  
"Ughh..."

It was the last day of school for the year. I looked inside my bag to make sure Haruhi's Christmas present was there. Classes went normally, and Haruhi looked a bit melancholic. I caught her sighing at the window between classes.

"Why that sigh?"  
"Nah, nothing important", she answered. "Hey, Kyon, you haven't been spying on us, right? My hot pot is a VERY secret recipe!"  
"No, no no... I swear!"  
"That's good! Hey, remember that tomorrow we have this Christmas performance for the orphanage, make sure you don't break your leg or something, or I'll break your other leg to make it even, is that clear?"  
"Yes, yes!"

As it was winter, classes finished the early afternoon, and Haruhi ran to the brigade room. After arriving upstairs, before the brigade room, I stumbled upon Asahina-san. The adult Asahina-san.

"Asahina-san! What are you doing here?"  
"I'm on a mission, Kyon-kun. It's a mission different from what I've been doing so far."  
"Different? In what way?"

Asahina-san whispered something to my ear.

"Really? You're not kidding, right?"  
"No, Kyon-kun. It was an order from the top. Apparently the stability of the whole universe depends on it."  
"Hey, you're scaring me now."  
She smiled. "But there's no danger now. And I always wanted to do this. It'll be exciting, just to... but we have time, Kyon-kun. Let's go."

* * *

After finishing our brief time travel mission, I knocked the brigade room's door.  
"Come in!"

I opened the door.

"Kyon! What took you so long, everybody's waiting for you!"

"Well, I had to get someone. It's a guest."  
"Guest? Who is it, is it one of your friends?"  
"It's... someone you already know. Asahina-san?"

I walked to the table to leave room for Asahina-san to enter. Haruhi just kept staring at her. "M... Mikuru-chan?"  
"Merry Christmas, Suzumiya-san. No, it wasn't a dream."

All I could see was Haruhi running towards Asahina-san, hugging her and crying. While hugging Haruhi, Asahina-san made a gesture to her younger self to keep quiet, and smiled. The younger Asahina-san just kept staring at the wall, and then whispered at me. "Kyon-kun, what does this mean?"

"Classified information", I whispered. "You'll talk about it later, don't worry. Just enjoy the party, okay?"

After a minute or so of cathartic emotions, we heard a female clearing of throat coming from outside. Asahina-san spoke. "Oh, right! I have another guest. Guess who?"

I still couldn't believe it. I had gone with Asahina-san to get her, but it still was hard to digest. A little girl of around 12 years old, wearing a nice dress and a white sweater. "So, you're my future self?" she asked.

"Yes! Yes, I am!" said Haruhi, wiping her tears. We closed the door, and little Haruhi kept asking herself and Asahina-san tons of questions, most of them answered with a "Classified information".

"Are you kidding me?"

But she calmed down after she finally got to taste Haruhi's cooking. "I'll give you the recipe later".

Then, the presents exhange. I gave Haruhi a box with her old hairpin, and some object that Asahina-san couldn't reveal to me. "Classified information", she said. She was very happy after looking at it. She also got a Christmas card from Koizumi, and another one from Nagato.

For Yuki, Haruhi gave her a couple of books on philosophy (don't ask me which books, they had hard-to-understand titles), and a little sphere with a Santa Claus on it. You would shake it and it would snow. But she didn't shake it. "When I get home", she said.

I got a Christmas gift card, and a wristwatch with the SOS emblem on it (Koizumi also got one). Also, Nagato gave me a sci-fi book with a special bookmark on the first page. "Tonight at 7:30, at the park." Hmm... this sounds like a date!

Asahina-san got a new dress, a book on self-esteem (what's with Christmas today? Everyone's getting books!). "Hey, read it thoroughly, okay?"  
Asahina-san smiled. "Yes!"

* * *

Asahina-san told me she and Haruhi would escort little Haruhi back to her time, that I didn't need to worry about it. I still don't understand how little Haruhi didn't recognize me as John Smith later. Maybe her memory got erased? Maybe she thought it was just a dream? I don't know. But, nevermind. It was a wonderful party.

Later that night, I went to meet Nagato at the park. She said she needed to talk to me in private.

As she served me tea, she spoke.

"Is it good?"  
"Yes, it is very good, thanks."

This reminded me of the first time we had talked about Haruhi. It should be obvious that she had something very important to say. I got a bit anxious.

"I have news."  
"Yes, Nagato?"  
She looked at me firmly. There was a strange glitter in her eyes. "It finally happened."  
"What happened?"  
"The little sphere... with a Santa Claus..."  
"Yes?"  
"It was a surprise. I knew it would snow inside it... snow is very important for me... I don't know how she found out. But, after I shook it..."  
"Yes?"

She looked at me, and tears began flowing out of her eyes. Nagato... no, I shouldn't call her by her surname anymore. Yuki... you're crying?

She stood up, and I stood up. She stared at me, and to my delight... she smiled.

"Merry Christmas..."

"Yuki..."

We hugged and kissed each other.

"I love you", she said, looking at me with a very intense brightness in her eyes. "I love you so much!"  
"I love you too."

THE END.


End file.
